Page last updated: August 19, 2019

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TWO MILES WEST

Poems by Gary Lee Entsminger

In Two Miles West, imagination, memory, and dream entwine to create voices that leap metaphysical boundaries. Entsminger asks us to suppose “a time space lattice / imposed by a mind / composing images.” In the realm of poetry, where an image in the mind’s eye is as alive as a warm body, he explores the nature of knowledge.

Endearing characters dance to the beat: Carisha in tawny hay fields, shirtless rain-soaked boys, a wanna-be western outlaw, pelicans disguised as lady’s slippers, Bach composing on a supernatural plane, a gangling bald Russian professor, and a three-year-old boy’s vision of Grandma “in full-cut apron / hugging her wide hips / canvas shoes to ease / sore feet smell of / onions and fried potatoes.”

Individuals try to connect: faces trapped in wood grains, “toes wiggle out to dance / teasing his stockings / bringing his fleet full stop / he lights a smile,” young men following a trail round the hillside, a friend they pick up in a bar pushing “imaginary buttons / that fumble under fingers,” and persistent Handpick & McQ musing on life, war, and women, parading down the highway.

Like the feathery swaying bamboo in his Henry Evans tribute, Entsminger has a light and loving touch that reaches for a world and a human potential he believes in.

“the sun eases / into a cloud lake / and cools / I walk on”

The troubadour sings a love song.

ALSO BY GARY L. ENTSMINGER AND SUSAN E. ELLIOTT:

Remembering the Parables (2010): Using the ancient Art of Memory to remember the parables of Jesus. (7.5"x9.25" paperback, black and white paintings, 160 pages, $18.00).

Making the Most of WriteItNow 4 (2010): A guide to using WriteItNow writing software. (7.5"x9.25" paperback, 134 instructive figures, 112 pages, $16.00).

Ophelia’s Ghost (2008): A novel exploring the Anasazi, Ancient Cultures, the Art of Memory, Shakespeare, UFOs, and the Moon. (6"x9" paperback, 292 pages, $15.00).

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Pinyon Titles

GARY LEE ENTSMINGER—writer, naturalist, and computer programmer—studied English and philosophy at Washington & Lee University. He has written two novels, numerous scientific books and articles, and biodiversity software.

SAMPLE POEMS: These Days.pdf

A Sled.pdf Fallen.pdf Keyboard.pdf

Fall of ’33 (2013): A sequel to Ophelia's Ghost, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1933. (6"x9" paperback, 214 pages, $17.00).

April 8, 2015, A Word’s Worth Review:
“Perhaps Entsminger’s tantamount vision—the possibility of humans being elevated to joy in life while living in a complex, mechanized society. Readers are treated to his appreciation of women, his liberation from time and space limitations, his devotion to truth, and his love of a natural world that presents glad surprises for his poetizing. Thinker, storyteller, a poet who poses questions about the visible and audible world, as well as the spiritual realm.” Read the Full Review

PRAISE FOR TWO MILES WEST

“A striking freshness, lyricism, and originality of voices—imagination and a sense of time and place characterize Two Miles West. This uncommon first book of poetry has been seasoned by years of thought and experience. ‘At night I pull the one runner curtain back / and look out the porch caves into ruined couch / below unshingled casts from lamplight.’ You will be rewarded when you step into his light.”—MICHAEL MILLER, author of Lifelines

“The debut collection of a poet as remarkable for his offbeat humor and Virginia down-homeness as for his hip urbanity: his love of jazz, qi, and an ideal world without fences. Among the many triumphs in this collection is Entsminger’s invention of a noir Steve McQueenish-slash-Jack Kerouackian character named McQ. Some killer poems: ‘Hazing,’ ‘Fallen,’ ‘Wind and Bamboo,’ and the magnificent pièce de résistance, ‘Old Bach.’ Every day Entsminger, a Coloradan, looks out on views of evergreen meadows and snowcapped peaks. The scope of this book goes way beyond ‘two miles west’!”—JAMES REISS, author of Riff on Six: New and Selected Poems

June, 2015, Review by Laurel Johnson for Midwest Book Review:

“In his first book of poetry, Entsminger takes readers through a time journey. The path he’s chosen to follow is rich with imagery I found comforting, enticing, and unflinching as he gently guides us from Bach to bird songs, from ancient visions to modern psalms. Underlying every modern musing is a sense of antediluvian quiet.

A sense of wonder permeates Entsminger’s world. ‘…feathery green leaves / sway / across black culms / as if the wind’s / come to town…’ Within this world, everything exists in tandem, connected by our similarities and differences. ‘…in this expanse / of ancient spans / and introspection / we see ourselves / microscopic / in the distance…’ Through his words, readers examine the world in every direction, seeing our complicated modern lives with a fresh perspective. A simpler world is out there if only we stop long enough to see it. ‘…why weren’t / we comfortable / with paradise / I make a note / as the cottonwood crackles / where are the angels / we fare no better now / in our interpreted worlds / beneath the higher stars…’

The poems here are lyrical and enlightening, the kind you’ll want to reread whenever life turns harsh and dark. Entsminger’s thoughts are exceptionally beautiful and highly recommended.”

F our Ravens (2019) Poems (6"x9" paperback, 118 pages, $17.00).

Read “The Magical Infusion of Two Miles West” to learn about Gary and his poetry over the last half century.

Page last updated: August 19, 2019