Book Review: Seasons of Life by Susan McLeod

Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

A poetic collection full of the simple, joyful moments in life

Comprised of 118 poems, this collection is split into four sections: Childhood, Family, Seasons of Life, and Holidays. The poems are short, generally around six to eight lines, so each page has multiple poems on the section’s theme. For example, in the holidays section, there are poems on Veteran’s Day, Halloween, Christmas cookies, and Kwanza, just to name a few. This radiant collection reflects McLeod’s life, capturing even the smallest moments with warmth and brevity.

The poetry in Seasons of Life is written in a simple, nostalgic tone that makes it enjoyable and accessible to just about anyone. The entire collection can be read in one afternoon or broken up into one very short poem or page at a time. In a time when there is constant worry and stress, Seasons of Life is a nice reprieve full of straightforward, emotional moments as small as taking a walk with a grandparent or playing with paper dolls. McLeod shows a clear love and respect for the tiny moments in life, writing with apparent love about it all.

“Kite flying with my father was fun to do / On a Saturday afternoon, just as two”

Most of the poems have a rhyming scheme. However, McLeod doesn’t stick too strictly to it, sometimes even dropping the rhyme in the middle of a poem or loosely rhyming lines to keep the flow going. For example, in one poem she rhymes “me” with “me” and in another “days” and “day.” A few times, even the tense of a poem changes in the middle of a stanza, which can get a bit jarring. But since the poems don’t follow a particular structure or syllable count, it gives the poetry an authentic, organic, freeform feeling that suits the topic at hand. Memories, like these poems, don’t cram themselves into a specific structure, but instead exist just as they are.

This delightful collection depicts the small moments with a simple, warm, and loving style. McLeod’s poetry offers a great way to reflect on your own life or to connect with others and share your own memories. They’d be as suitable for reading with your children—with a great jumping off point for talking about your own childhood—as they are for reading with your grandparents—to learn more about what they remember themselves. A versatile effect that works well for a book like this. 

With this collection, remember what you’ve forgotten—revel in those small experiences with your parents or grandparents, taste your mom’s go-to dessert, or think back fondly on your favorite polka-dotted dress as a child.

“Walking with my grandfather in the fall was neat / With the leaves crunching under our feet”

Seasons of Life is great for those looking for simple and reflective moments in the chaos of today.

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