Thoughtful, engaging, and arresting. A ticking clock diligently marks the unflinching forward march of time, but B. L. Bruce takes a more organic approach in her elemental poetry collection, Blue California Sky. Tender buds, fallen snow, and fledgling birds chronicle the passage of time, while emphatic verse touches hearts and journeys through the quotidian experiences that assuredly shape our lives. Nature’s dynamism, majesty, subtlety, and freedom invite readers to pause and reflect on such graceful threads of human connection, despite personal hardships. A few poems embody desire and longing with stirring expressions such as, “In the beginning, I consumed… Read more: Blue California Sky by B. L. Bruce