Cistern Latitudes

From Roadside Press, Cistern Latitudes contains more than 60 descents into spaces and moments that once witnessed tectonic shifts in destiny that are now as silent and still as subterranean pools of water, clear and dark and carrying the truth that life and the world may have lost its way, that tragedy may linger in the corners of our past, but there are still latitudes and geographies out there that harbor safe, calm, and magical futures if we look for them.

“James Duncan's poetry has always painted broad strokes of both beauty and hopefulness, even in the bleakest of environments. His newest collection, Cistern Latitudes is no exception, as its descriptive landscapes and skyscapes are in full bloom. Duncan finds peace and splendor in both existence and departure, as these poems capture the wistfulness of life's moments without sounding resigned to despair. The poems in this collection are sentimental in the best sense of the word, and leave a lasting impression with the reader.” — Kendall A. Bell, poet/editor of Maverick Duck Press

"The poems in Cistern Latitudes are infused with the elements—rain, fading light, oceans, snow, damp wood—as they affect and reflect discordant human relationships, reminding us love might not last, but memories linger. The subjects in the poems are half shadowed, half lit. Indoors yet exposed. Together yet disconnected. Half asleep. Trapped behind window glass. Struggling to rectify constructed human lives against a natural world they both adore and fear. Straining to sustain love knowing full well it is ephemeral, inconsequential. The specters of stone, water, earth are ever-present—supporting unreliably from below, gurgling with discontented erosion.” — Kerry Trautman, author of Unknowable Things and Irregulars