Meditations in Times of Wonder Paperback – Illustrated, August 6, 2014

Beautifully written

Writing as an heir of metaphysical poets such as George Herbert (to whom he dedicates an ode ), Martin gives us well-crafted and deeply thought-provoking poems. This work takes its religion seriously, but the most affecting moments are those when an invisible grace shines through stirringly realized images: the enigmatic emptiness hid in the whorls of a snail shell; freshly washed, windblown bed clothes flapping up on the line like rising spirits; the earthy details of a compost heap and its natural spices ("egg shells, faded stalks of parsely . . . wine lees, bones, and bedding from the hens . . . ") figuring a magical, half-heavenly alchemy. It's not a book for the faint of heart or mind, but most certainly does have its share of both tenderness and healthy human crustiness to balance its metaphysical tenor. Most importantly, many of Martin's lines have clearly been struck by beauty's glancing blow.