UNDER THE ASH by Shelly Bryant

The title comes from the connection of the ash tree to the element of fire, as well as being a reference to Norse mythology of the World Tree. With the name Yggdrasil, this was a giant ash tree at the center of the universe connecting the various worlds and with roots extending to under regions and branches reaching above and to the sides of the human world. The human world is at the center and therefore one of the main things “under” the ash. This works well as a metaphor to pull together the various material included in this collection since it considers more than one simple world. You won’t be
bored with just one subject or form of poetry.