Lynn Basil Holland

Myself, Others Lynn Basil Holland

Myself, Others is a work of touching clarity. Isolated during a global pandemic, Lynn Basil Holland's speaker reflects on her relationship to herself and to the Earth and the diverse people who inhabit it. With affection, Holland observes how, "We are as varied as oranges, bananas, kiwi, and cherries./ Inside is a creation, a gift, meant to be appreciated." She applies this tenderness to herself and extends it to others in lyric poems and haiku that recognize love as a naturally unifying force: "A mama duck leads her ducklings, / gentle, kind, selfless, not proud./ I can follow Love." On every personal and societal struggle she encounters, Holland's speaker sheds her loving attention. From family and friends, to neighbors, to complete strangers, Holland senses the gap between self and other and mends the rift with unfailing faith and sparkling metaphor. But this book is not just a praise of inter- and intrapersonal relationships: Holland also calls for equality and sensitivity to all who suffer: "To follow our nature is right. / To others I am drawn. / A voice for unity-a blackbird in a grey morn." This collection will uplift, inspire, and remind readers of our shared yearning to belong, to survive, to hope