J. Drew Lanham reads his poem “Love for a Song”

Birdsong & Affection

J. Drew Lanham beautifully intertwines the sounds of birds with the essence of affection in his poem, "Love for a Song." He describes love as a barter, a trade of affection for adoration, likening it to the whippoorwill's summer call and the meadowlark's song 1. Lanham's imagery captures the longing and desire that nature's melodies evoke in us, suggesting that these sounds are not just heard but felt deeply within our spirits.

Love is bits of affection traded for pieces of adoration. It is desire doled out on the whippoorwill's summer wanting.

--- J. Drew Lanham

This poetic connection between birdsong and love invites us to find beauty and meaning in the natural world around us.

   

Emotional Landscapes

Lanham's poem also delves into how landscapes and natural phenomena stir emotions of love and longing. He paints vivid pictures of places like the Blackwater cypress swamp and tall grass prairies, where moonlight on tide-slicked stones evokes tears 1. These landscapes become emotional canvases, reflecting the wild soul's yearning and the heart's deepest desires.

We want the wild soul in a shadow dwelling wood. Thrush heaps it on us in self harmonizing sonata.

--- J. Drew Lanham

Through these images, Lanham invites us to immerse ourselves in nature's beauty, finding solace and inspiration in its vast emotional landscapes.