a collection of poems
by Klyd Watkins
published by The Temple
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There is a wise, whimsical center to these well crafted poems. . . .
I want to thank Charles Potts and editors like him who bring us voices 
like Klyd Watkins.  He's a wonderful writer and southern gentleman 
whose poetry is precise, lyrical and luminous.
Charles P. Ries see complete review  
"Love the  look and feel of yr new book . . . 
glad to see many of my favs" Christina Pacosz

"a lovely collection, full of humor, compassion, joy,
music, and inventiveness"  Charles Potts

" . . . Klyd Watkins makes the reader feel all of a sudden that the ordinary
is a swirl of strangeness, charm, color and charge that habit has just 
barely kept from exploding into its proper mythic dimensions" 
Stephen Thomas

"Watkins takes fleeting moments and memorializes them in amusing, poignant, and insightful ways. He writes with sweet purity and quixotic boldness, regardless of subject. Of particular enjoyment to me are the poet's self-descriptions scattered throughout the book. In "Nathan, I Was Telling You a Story 'Bout My Hair" he is a "streaking ball of joy and light", a man with long white hair he calls "a veil like strands of solid milk." . . . He views life with the curiosity and delight of a child, seeking and seeing, processing and probing with masterful results. Readers familiar with Klyd Watkins' work will consider 5 Speed a "must have." Poetry lovers not yet acquainted with this poet's distinctive style might consider starting with this book. In my opinion, Klyd Watkins should not be an undiscovered gem for long. Midwest Book Review

I received "5 Speed" today. It is new to me. I read it today, and remembered that lake; small in many and big in many. I have wondered its ways and mists. I thought; "How to comment on this? I know its places, I feel its presence." I thought to have words at least to the level to which I just read. In me I am proud of me that I know the person who wrote this. Ideas and concepts jumbled and flew to Oxford levels. Then I thought; "No". Ancient honesty had loomed. Vanity words are shallow. In 5,000 year old Egypt there must be written on some oblisk or face or wall somewhere a long ago thought out simplicity; "I like like this book........really good."
D. Phillip Caron

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"Black-eyed peas and then cosmic entropy versus cosmic rejuvenation!?!?!
What we're dealing with her (let's get it straight) is a Mr. Meditation, not
impressionistic poet just trying to get it all down on the canvus-page.
Take even a poem like "Nipple of Light," about Watkins on a train of
some sort looking at a sexy woman. At least he starts out sexy, a low-cut blouse
cut low enough to see the nipples, but then...here we go again: "First the flesh
fissures/leak light from within, geography becoming geology,/then as the glowing
grows brighter the blackberry swirls/fuzz . . ." He can't just look at trees and enjoy them, but turns them into an exercise in aesthetics: . . . And what is this beauty-trap really all about? Lichen, gray bark, shadows, sunlight . . . . "
Hugh Fox

Congratulations are in order! "5 Speed" is indeed a marvelous work of poetry. Delivering cornucopious flourishes of Klyd-speak: Brilliant brush strokes of water color images; alluring daisy chains of alliteration; and the perfect percentage of meta-sexual transcendental innuendo. Put that transport truck in gear and drive it all the way to free verse city! Mike Panasuk

[Mike's note continues and he sends a poem about an incident when rumors around Radnor Lake had it that "the lady who paints" had slipped and fell, cracked her skull and died on a hike out west. I lived for a while thinking it was Peggy and Mike got this poem out of the confusion:]