Edge of the Echo

KB Ballentine gathers poems into four sections that honor the ancient rhythms of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Edge of the Echo explores these elements and how they weave through the human experience and, though we are encompassed by them every day, we don't fully understand them. At the threshold of each season there is a mystic balance between the stones and the stars. The early Celts recognized what we have forgotten: the seasons of the year reflect an invisible geography between nature and the human soul. In this world full of upheaval and clatter, we need more than ever the tenacity of nature-its magic and variety that mends our weariness. This collection of poems invites the elements to speak to us once again.




Out of the depths of the sea, a breath of wind. From the roots of the earth, the shifting fire. Warm and cool. Firm and flowing. The early Celts recognized the relationship of invisible geography where blood whispers and memory clings to these ancient rhythms of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.




Though encompassed by these elements every day, we still don't fully understand them. Hegel said, "The familiar, precisely because it is familiar, remains unknown." Earth, air, water, fire: their energy destroys, nourishes, purifies, and we are captivated by this age-old tapestry of mystic balance between stone and stars. In this world full of upheaval and clatter, we need more than ever the tenacity of nature-its magic and variety that mends our weary souls.




Within each season of the year a threshold emerges where these elements intersect, allowing the possibility to cross the thin spaces into the "Other" that perforates the darkness around us. Spend time with the earth: revel in its strength. Drink deeply of the air and let it satisfy you. Taste the water, whether clear or salty, for its cleansing power. Dance with the flames of passion. Let the elements speak to you, speak through you. It's time to live again.