Sky and Earth Cielo Y Tierra

Christina Watkins' book of short metaphysical poems might remind readers of nimble, compressed forms such as haiku. True to its title, Sky and Earth, Cielo y Tierra takes readers on a journey that is grounded in the earthly but offers flashes of the sublime and the transcendent.

In keeping with the bilingual title, the poems are in English on the left-hand pages and in Spanish on the facing pages. This makes for an unhurried progression from poem to poem, with stops to appreciate the beauty of the Spanish and the alchemical art of translation.

Any reader can get a sense of the music of the lines in Spanish and how they offer a rhythm different from the more compressed English sounds and syntax. In the poem "Towards Phoenix," the last stanza personifies the sky and the earth in three lines: "You may see sky's starry cover as / brown earth's night-dressed lover. / You may learn to love the west." Here, "cover" and "lover" make a perfect rhyme, and "west" makes an interesting slant rhyme with the last word of the previous stanza, "largeness." The Spanish translation requires five lines to express what took three in English, exemplified in the contrast between the taut "starry cover" and the soft waves of the Spanish: "sembrado de estrellas."

Another poem, "Spaces," is brief but captures much of what is charming about this collection, with its easy blend of the embodied and the ecstatic: "Sometimes when I am dancing / I realize there are spaces beneath my shoes / sometimes pink, sometimes blue / sometimes yellow or green spaces. / This happens when I have forgotten / there is a floor."

Sky and Earth, Cielo y Tierra is a graceful collection that may appeal to readers with an appreciation for the rugged openness of the American West, the Spanish language and the sacred feminine.

- BlueInk Review

Sky and Earth is a fitting title for a book of poetry about the balance of natural forces, and the relationships of people living in the space between. As a poet, Christina Watkins strikes you as a gentle observer, someone tuned in to the gossamer changes of earth-nature and peoplenature. Her poems are insightful melodies following themes such as desert, dancing and family. Turn the page, and you’ll find the same poem written in Spanish. “Sky and Earth,” also titled “Cielo Y Tierra,” offers readers Watkins’ poetry written in both English and Spanish.

To translate any poetry requires a mastery of both languages, not simply proficiency or fluency. Poetry is not so much a way of writing as a marriage of words to the sounds they make when together. A poet cannot translate the words individually; she must translate the relationship between them. Watkins does a masterful job. For example, the poem “To My Mother” in its English translation rhymes; it has a winding meter and lilting melody. Its Spanish translation does not, in fact cannot rhyme. Yet, the lovely melody is preserved, and the meaning of the poem intact. In the poem a woman visits with her mother, eager and excited to be with her. The daughter seems pulled in two directions, a sense of urgency as their time together dwindles, and reverence for her mother’s slow decline. The poem in both languages must have this emotional conflict or else it cannot be the same poem. Watkins does not compromise her poems’ integrity; she marries the right words in both languages.

The emotion written so profoundly in “To My Mother” is found in most of Watkins’ book. Her second chapter, “Into the Blue,” is emotional, vivacious, yet still gentle. Her poem “Necklaces,” from the second chapter, is a tender piece about a family heirloom from her mother, made especially significant by the family coming together for the holidays. She uses the phrase “birthshaped womb message” to describe the necklace hanging around her neck after her mother bequeaths to her. It’s bold, emotive, and absolutely perfect. Another theme from Watkins’ poetry is the desert. In her poem, “Towards Phoenix,” she describes giving up one beauty for a different sort. Watkins describes the dryness of the land, the way the sparseness and largeness wins you over. She celebrates the culture of heat and desert through dance, which is a style of dance all its own.

Sky and Earth ends powerfully with God Mother the salsa dancer, hips swinging and keeping time with her sons and daughters. Like all Watkins’ poems, this piece is brief but impactful; a fitting end to a book which could also be described as such. Watkins’ poetry is emotional and exquisite, her translations thoughtfully made. There is a balance between the two poems facing each other. Watkins’ bilingualism shows the differences and the similarities between the two languages, the way they sound and appear very different, but still express the same meaning and emotion. The poet’s natural sense of rhythm, perhaps explaining her aptitude for dance, shines through in her writing as lyrical poetry. The poems have a compelling beat and expressive melody.

- Pacific Book Review

"It comes now in the wind fresh, moving the grasses spreading seeds and unsettling earth to give them cover."

Gently written and delicately flowing, Watkins' poetry speaks in both English and Spanish on facing pages. The poems are written in free verse with excellent rhythm and compelling structure, whether you enjoy them in English, Spanish, or both. The book is broken into three sections, divided by lovely black and white illustrations that lead the way to the new set of poems. Each poem connects the reader with nature and, often lightly, with a sense of something bigger through dance, motherhood, and a subtle religious tone.

Watkins manages to breathe new life into the seemingly mundane, helping the reader visualize new context and purpose. For instance, in one poem, angry words bring winter and turn green into grey, resulting in a need to speak with love. As a result, the poems can be quite compelling, allowing the reader to dig deeper into themselves and the world around them.

This collection of poetry is transcendent and worth not only a read but also a reread, allowing readers to probe into their personal experiences as well as the environment in which they live. Lyrical and pensive, this book warrants an examination of life, the world, and religion, in a quiet and unassuming but powerful way. Readers who enjoy nature, dancing, and graceful prose will revel in the journey. With Spanish and English presented side-by-side, this collection has broad appeal and a beautiful rhythm that makes each poem even more compelling when read in sequence. In summary, Watkins has composed poems that softly demand notice and deliver a lovely journey for those who read them.

- The US Review of Books