‘Manifestation Wolverine’: Poet’s growth evident in compilation

To effectively capture the largest moments of our lives - a wedding, a funeral, a heartbreak - we often turn to poetry. Because the strongest poets understand that such emotions aren't accurately captured with a simple narrative: the rhythm, images, and form need to come together just so in order to capture the moment. Iowa poet Ray Young Bear is one of these life-changing poets because he does just that: with his careful attention to detail and heartbreaking turns of phrases, Young Bear explores delicate matters of identity, spirituality and family with wit, grace and power.

'Manifestation Wolverine” (Open Road, $18.99) is his recently released collected works, bringing together three previously published books of poetry ('Winter of the Salamander,” 'The Invisible Musician,” and 'The Rock Island Hiking Club”), as well as a previously unpublished collection of his latest work.

And while reading the collections separately is satisfying, having them together in one place makes it possible to chart Young Bear's development as a poet. The poems in the first collection follow a straightforward, daresay minimalist style of the early '80s, as evidenced in excerpts like:

i rub my face against the window

feeling the change will

never take the place for me

feeling everything i am

it will never be enough.

But as Young Bear continues to grow as a poet, his style becomes more descriptive, more introspective. There is a sense of rawness to his more recent work, as well as a sly playfulness, which is evident in his concrete poetry. 'The Rock's Message,” which is written so the words take the shape of a snapping turtle, is a remarkable juxtaposition of nature's benevolence against human responsibilities. 'Whereas/his father is fourteen, school means I/assume care duties. In the breeze/I sense the apple tree's shade/emanating a sweet and cool/taste. On my bruises the/ leaves seem to say: you are ok.”

Manifestation Wolverine is a remarkable collection charting the artistic path of a great poet.

Book reading

What: Ray Young Bear will read from 'Manifestation Wolverine”

Where: Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City

When: 7 p.m. Friday