I’ve been following the work of writer/activist Silas House – a true fixture in the canon of rural South/Appalacian literature – for a long time. He has recently published his first book of poetry . . . and, friends, it is a stunner of a poetry collection.
Today, on this third Thursday, I’m going to share one of the poems from his collection . . . read by Silas House himself. It’s a gorgeous poem – and even more so when read aloud by the author.
The Most Beautiful Words
Silas Housegloaming home afloat
adrift whisper
eucharist scripture
ethereal mineral
obsidian mystery
murmuration undulationmother father
God dogAppalachia Ireland
green rain blue truth
iridescent radiance
resplendent ripeness
illumination luminescent
leaf-light dappled darkness
rhapsodic quixotic
elixir opulencepalaver pining
illicit forbidden
diaphanous poem
dancing thunderstormbooks words
woods music
sacred holy
hallelujah
alleluia
reckon fecund
moss lichenfelicity fidelity
friendship adore
enchant endear
mesmerize melancholy
celestial navigation
dreamer somnambulistocean riverbank
creek flowing
wildflowers wind
flora and fauna
halcyon lupine
solitude epiphany
Today’s poem comes from All These Ghosts: poems by Silas House, published by Blair/Carolina Wren Press, 2025. You can learn more about the poet, Silas House, and read more about his work here.
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You can find A Gathering of Poetry every month . . . on the third Thursday.
Share some.
Read some.
Gather up some poetry!
(Bonny is hosting a special link-up for A Gathering of Poetry. (Be sure to check it out.)
This is a really interesting poem! He’s chosen words that are lovely to read and speak, paired them beautifully, and each line seems to lead right into the next. I’m tempted to look for some of his fiction and he is an also an accomplished poet. Thanks for sharing!
Being a South/AppalachianI girl, I have been a Silas House fan since he published his first novel, so this was a great poem for me. He has a very distinctive voice in literature and IRL, and he always seems to touch on the heart of the matter instantaneously. Thank you for sharing his poetry.
Love this poem.
Once in greeting a friend and asking how are you he said Nuministicly Cerulean (the sky was putting on a show in the moment). Those two words stuck in my heart forever. This poem is just as beautiful as JD’s two words.