NH Poetry: Desire Lines

Kyle Potvin recommends Desire Lines by Marie Harris (Hobblebush Books, 2019)

Marie Harris’ Desire Lines is part elegy, part lesson in resilience. Every word, every metaphor, is just right. There is much to love: the sea, the birds, the craft, the emotional truths. Buckle up while reading the long, suspenseful sequence, “Bruised Hearts,” about a terrifying accident. In “Dear Mrs. Dewing,” a young Marie Harris writes, as suggested by her great aunt, to a person she admires and she selects artist Maria Oakey Dewing: “Also, Great-Aunt Helen said that artists like you are very, very interested in Beauty with a capital ‘B.’ Me too.” Clearly, former NH Poet Laureate, accomplished poet, Marie Harris is too. I’ve read Desire Lines several times and keep going back.

Kyle Potvin lives in Derry, NH. Her debut full-length poetry collection Loosen was released by Hobblebush Books in January 2021.

This post is part of our celebration of National Poetry Month 2021 for which I asked New Hampshire poets to recommend books of poetry by Granite State poets. These titles are generally available from local booksellers and may be held in public libraries as well.