Chewing down My Barn : Poem from the Carpenter Bees

"Like a latter-day Montaigne, who was himself confessedly the matter of his book, Gene Bianchi crafts poetic "essais" from closely observed life-moments, intricate meditations that, taken together, form a searching yet oddly genial "ars moriendi." With learning drawn from several religious traditions, Bianchi gives us both exciting verbal flights and the stillness at the heart of meaning. "- John Bugge, Emeritus Professor of English, Emory University "In this collection, we accompany the poet on his "long journey to tenderness" along with Christian mystics, saints, Tao masters, and notably, his Siamese cat Max-"master of the God who naps." With uncommon wisdom, Bianchi observes lessons in wildlife around his Georgia home on the Oconee River, and he gives equal attention to the humanity of those he encounters at Starbuck's and McDonald's. These are pithy, thoughtful poems, filled with compassion, self-insight, and frequent saltings of humor." - Clela Reed, poet, author of Dancing on the Rim and The Hero of the Revolution Serves Us Tea "Eugene Bianchi's poems reveal a healthy maladjustment, a holy irreverence which merges insights from a life in academe with Christian, Buddhist, and delightfully agnostic views. His Siamese cat Max, Master of the Reclining Zendo, and bees "Chewing Down My Barn," sneak into Bianchi's consciousness. Everything is grist for his imagination. He writes poems about contemplative aging as a way of better dying." - Don Foran, professor and editor of Transitions in the Lives of Jesuits and Former Jesuits