first here and then far

BC poet David Zieroth’s creative journey, still unfolding after more than fifty years, comes into brilliant focus in this revelatory retrospective. Gathered with meticulous care and arranged chronologically, this vital collection reflects the unique voice and ever-evolving style of Canadian poet David Zieroth over more than half a century of acclaimed work. From early meditations on his rural Prairie childhood to the moving consideration of family and history in the previously unpublished poem at the book’s end, Zieroth allows imagery rooted in daily life to guide him in unexpected directions, revealing moments that illuminate the otherwise hidden confluence of mind and world. As first here and then far shows, Zieroth’s curiosity-charged poems have always possessed a translucent directness. Motion and stillness meet, whether the view is from one of his many international voyages or simply from his North Vancouver balcony, as in the evocatively titled recent book watching for life. And his language has gathered momentum over the years, becoming more streamlined as it sheds convention and takes on a new lyricism. An essential document of a long and endlessly inventive life in words, first here and then far is a worthy testament to the energy and subtle insight of a poet who remains at the height of his powers.