Hour of the Green Light

David Ruekberg's second collection begins in the womb at the moment when the soul chooses to leave paradise, then explores the aftermath of that decision. Although his poems treat big subjects, Ruekberg grounds them in daily life. A bike ride in Central Park, hanging laundry, a rodeo, and the threat of invasive chipmunks provide a few of the settings for his inquiry into love, work, self, and death. Like sunlight glancing through the spruces in his yard, the quest for "an end to suffering" pervades the collection. An accomplished poet, Ruekberg clothes his observations in cadences and images that are at once unique and inviting. Despite our perception of darkness in this life, these poems urge us to discover "the only light we can know."