Get 50% off Catholic Books & eBooks

Discover the Next Tolkien & O'Connor

Join Here for FREE to Never Miss a Deal

Find new favorites & Support Catholic Authors

Genre

Poetry

Audience

Adults

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2021

Themes

life, love, sorrow, death, hope, God

 

Reviewed by

Tiffany Buck

Poetry isn’t just a few words placed nicely together on a page. Instead, poetry awakens us to thoughts and feeling that are repressed by our daily life¾or are newly discovered. As readers poetry helps us understand the significance of words, but more importantly, it helps us to understand ourselves. In Fair Now Later Rain, Jeremy Long takes us on a poetic journey of human emotion and the never-ending search for the meaning of life. Vivid images of nature and the season of Fall permeate this collection. Elegant and reflective in nature, Long explores the themes of love, death, hope, and Christianity.

“I’m standing here and I’m doing alright,” begins “Crumble, I’m a Mountain,” a poem about death, decay and rebirth. Reading this opening brought back memories of a simple time before I received the dreaded phone call announcing my mother was indeed dying.  Mr. Long’s poems on death and grief beautifully capture the sorrow of those left behind. Pain and death are two things we can never escape, but in every situation, however painful, God always offers us hope. A beautiful poem that reflects this hope is “Common Lilies.” It is a short poem with only two lines, but it says so much. “Hope is a flower born of what once was there.”

For those concerned that this collection may focus too much on death and the aftermath, fear not. Mr. Long offers several witty, thought-provoking short poems¾even humorous ones that are peppered throughout the collection. In, “Oak,” we are left to ponder the task of an acorn. “An acorn that falls is halfway to completing its task.”  The poem, “Watch This Skinner” is a humorous take on the all too familiar my dog is smarter than your honor student bumper sticker.

Christianity and Christian themes appear throughout Fair Now Later Rain. In Matthew 6:3 Jesus teaches us, “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing.” With knowledge of that teaching, Long writes “Yeshua.” “Hide your good deeds so that the Lord may see.” We are restless until we rest in God. In “Contrite Dew,” Long reflects on our turning away and yearning for God. “Each dawn I awake to see the grass has cried again. This is what it’s like to be away from your son.”

Fair Now Later Rain is a large collection of poems meant to be read in small bites. There is so much to take in¾each new poem was a rebirth of emotion. It’s like a weather forecast for the human experience. I read each poem, slowly savoring each word. They seem to stay with me, more so that other poetry collections I’ve read in the past.

I highly recommend this book to all, especially those who have experienced loss. Catholics and Christians will appreciate the poems that deal with Christian themes. Lovers of Fall will delight in Long’s imagery of nature and fallen leaves. I suggest buying the hard copy of the book: no doubt there will be a poem or two that you will want to go back to from time to time. I’d like to end this review by quoting one of my favorite poems in Fair Now Later Rain, “Eternity, Bless My Soul.”

“May the rain never cause me worry.”

Get Catholic Books & eBooks for as little as $1 to FREE

Where to begin with Dorothy L. Sayers?

A Detective novelist who believes in conscience, and in the reality of redemption.

Best of 2020

Yes some good things DID happen this year- Catholic creators have not let turmoil stop their mission.

Roses for The Most High: “Poetry Celebrating the Mystical Christian Path” by Ronnie Smith

Contemplations in the spirit of Merton, perfect for your Lenten season.

Why Reading Fiction Made Me a Better Catholic

How reading fiction became a crucial step in my conversion to the Catholic Church.

Books for Lent

Deepen your Lenten reflection with these stories of repentance and forgiveness

Books to Pray With, March: For the New Martyrs

Every month in 2024 Pope Francis has a monthly prayer intention. Every month we will release a book list that will draw your heart and soul deeper into prayer on these topics.

Best Books of 2022

Our favorite book finds of the year!

Feel-Good Books For Pandemic Summer

Book Therapy to chase the blues away

August & September New Book Releases

Step into Fall with a Good Book

Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim by Tim Bete

Poetry that will take you deeper into Scripture and help you see the extraordinary in the simple.

The Eternal Spring By, Phillip MacArthur

A fairy tale about faith, hope, and the destruction they protect us from.