Poiema by D.S. Martin is his first full-length poetry collection published by Wipf & Stock (Eugene, Oregon) in 2008
Many of the poems in this collection – although perhaps altered here – first appeared in literary journals and magazines such as Arc, The Fiddle Head, The Antigonish Review, Grail, and Queen’s Quarterly.
The poetry in section III is a sample from a previously published chapbook, So The Moon Would Not Be Swallowed (Rubicon Press, 2007). This collection is about the poet’s grandparents who were missionaries to China from 1923 to 1951
Poiema won in its category at the Canadian Christian Writing Awards (June 2009)
Paperback, 84 pages
Published August 28th 2008 by Wipf & Stock Publishers
ISBN 1556358563 (ISBN13: 9781556358562)
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Praise for Poiema
“To read D.S. Martin’s Poiema is to embark on a journey through the richness of life, its complexities and challenges, its joys and shadows. While finely wrought, this poetry is accessible and, in its earnestness and depth, intensely moving. From poems based on the hardships of the author’s grandparents as missionaries in mid-1920s China, to a humorous riff on “wayward” shopping carts “seeking a ditch to wallow in” (p.67), to a lovely memory of pails brimming beneath “the pump at the end of our cottage lane” and a wish “to be like water in praise of him” (p.13), the poet covers an impressive range of subjects.”
– Vivian Teter (Anglican Theological Review)
“Each of these poems makes you want to descend to its heart and discover the precious metal there. D.S. Martin knows how to evoke the mystery that lies beneath the relationships we have with ourselves, each other, and God. This is skilful and probing poetry.”
— Luci Shaw; author of What The Light Was Like
“D.S. Martin is emerging as a ‘poet’s poet’ — this is a fine collection, with one poem after another deeply satisfying in its crafting and in its vision.”
— Maxine Hancock, author and professor, Regent College, Vancouver