Our Own Special Country: Poems in Celebration of the Fifty States

Honoring each one of the fifty states in America, this splendid collection is rooted in history and celebrates the proud people, way of life, and unrivaled natural beauty of our beloved land of opportunity. From Alabama to Wyoming, these hearty poems showcase the diverse locales and many moods, quirks, and charms that make every state unique and glorious.

With amusement, wonder, and admiration, poet and traveler Dorothy Gray pays tribute to sports teams and music legends, historical figures and cultures, animals and plants, weather and seasons, and foods and festivities across the country. In Idaho, "Dramatic landscapes overwhelm with alpine lakes in snowcapped mountains, deep river canyons and water falls, hot springs and dunes of desert sand." In Maine, "Where glacial mountains and valleys lie with inlets hidden by sheer peaks, America's northeastern point has rugged rocks that touch the sea."

Whether it's the swaying ukulele tunes of the Polynesian paradise of Hawaii, the miles of spinning wooden windmills in Indiana, the cranberry bogs of New Jersey ("residents don't call it Joisey."), or a pin dropping in the tabernacle in Utah, the imagery of these crystal-clear poems appeals to our senses and captures the essence and spirit of the majestic United States of America.