Stirrup of the Sun & Moon Paperback – April 14, 2020

This is an exceptional book of poetry. Wisdom, insight, tenderness, evocation. At one level, there is great consistency to the poems in that it could be said they are all about the same thing: how to live a life engaged with the deep mystery of Being. But since that one thing is so large, infinite really, then it could be said the poems are quite diverse, since they explore from many different angles. There is a ring of authenticity to the author's voice. He is writing from experience that clearly includes deep study and practice. I find it hard to tell exactly what traditions he may be linked too, but that is not a complaint. It's more a tip of the hat, since he has woven them seamlessly into the fabric of his life. There are certainly Asian traditions here, like Zen and Taoism, but also shamanistic and Jungian influences, as well as plenty of personal homespun wisdom from time with nature and time in the emotional webs of the common human life. The poems speak directly, which is to say they are very accessible. But that is not to say they are easy, because what they are talking about is ultimately subtle and wordless, so we have to feel beyond the poems to what they evoke, or like pointers on the path, suggest. Every image counts, every turn of phrase, every hint and innuendo.

“Stirrup of the Sun and Moon” is a book of poems to be savored and re-read over an extended period of time. With rich use of flowing, yet precise, language Frank LaRue Owen transports the reader through imaginal realms to touch into our interiority, offering expansive ‘aha’ moments that lift us beyond any ordinary sense of knowing. The poems leave behind a feeling of satisfaction with a superb balance of ingredients drawn from seasons of nature, place, and traditional Asian traditions finely sifted through contemporary experiential understanding.Perhaps, though, what marks this work as a book that goes above and beyond a regular book of poetry is his inclusion of notes for a piece to music to accompany each poem. Listening to the music while reading elevates the words with a sensory marriage of intellect and sound, or in his words, adds ‘a profound depth to the poetic process’. Some chosen music stretches longer than first reading a poem, which happily leads to the pleasure of re-reading these words of subtle wisdom and becoming.