Where the Grasses Wept

Quietly nostalgic while avoiding sentimentality, "Where the Grasses Wept" paints watercolour portraits of an everyman life, filtered through the sober wisdom of reality and perspective, whether it is through the sequential imagery of “Back East”, the idle-ethereal love of “Purple Ocean,” or the escape of “Dashboard Vinyl.” Utilizing either lyrical or free-verse poetry, Raine succeeds in maintaining a sense of rhythm and cadence harkening to his prior work in "Vacant Morality." The themes of Where the Grasses Wept are thoughtful and relatable, firmly grounded in reality while simultaneously creating a dream-like quality. Raine’s work successfully grasps a sense of longing while avoiding the trap of wishful thinking and romanticism.