The Locust Years

The time is dark.The time is wild.So fill the lamp.So guide the child.The Locust Years explores a world of mystery and sorrow, desolation and love. Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, these poems offer readers an invitation to walk along a path pebbled with profound joy and deep loss. Pastor’s contemplation of the strange and wondrous happenings of the natural world and devoted attention to the human experience are chronicled in language worthy of our journey through this life. Featuring riveting original illustrations from acclaimed artist Michael Cook, this unforgettable new poetry collection from one of our most exciting contemporary American writers is exquisitely crafted, joyously triumphant, and rich to its core with wisdom, wonder, and weathered, hard-won peace. May you find it to be a beloved companion for years to come.These poems are reminiscent of the best of William Blake in both their rhythmic incantatory quality, and the profound gnomic wisdom that emerges from their apparent simplicity. There is not a trace of mere sentiment here, for these poems are alive to the pain and sorrow of ‘the years the locusts devoured’ and yet they offer hope, even though to dare to hope is itself to feel our present grief more deeply. The Locust Years takes us on a journey through the seasons, revealing the spiritual depth in nature to body forth our inner life. These poems ‘make the inner outer, and the outer inner’ as Coleridge said all poetry should do. This is a book to treasure and return to often.—Malcolm Guite, poet and author of Waiting on the WordPaul J. Pastor’s poems are resplendent psalters that the earth and her creatures echo in their praises, and we pause to behold them in wonder and delight. Paul’s words brim with contentment of abundance yet are full of tears, leaving this reader with the scent of a new season.—Makoto Fujimura, contemporary artist and author of Art+Faith: A Theology of MakingIt's hard to live a full life without good poetry. This collection startles the heart, walks it through a journey of grief and joy, and teaches us to feel again.—Justin Whitmel Earley, author of The Common Rule and Habits of the Household Read more