Michael J Leach

Rural Ecologies is a collection of haiku united by their subject matter: a love of the natural world and the wonder it inspires. Michael J. Leach embraces contemporary practice in writing these short, contemplative verses 'in the spirit of haiku' rather than trying to contort each poem into three lines while pretending that English syllables can be considered Japanese morae.This is a thoughtful, sometimes playful, collection that celebrates the resonance of the momentary.

In his first full-length poetry collection, Natural Philosophies, Michael J. Leach grasps for truth and solace by embracing interdisciplinary perspectives and alternative meanings. The poems in this collection address the archaic term 'natural philosophy'-the philosophical study of nature and the universe-in past, present, and future contexts through the lenses of various natural science disciplines, including botany, zoology, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine. Michael explores a range of urgent personal and public issues, from climate change, extinction, and post-truth logic to assisted dying, natural death, and COVID-19, all the while pinpointing much-needed beauty across physical, emotional, and spiritual domains of existence.