Fencer in the Mirror, by Tim T. Cahill

Poetry, chapbook, 32 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Part free verse, part love letter with a touch of haiku, Fencer in the Mirror aims to dissolve the barriers separating the individual from the universal, suggesting that the divine is interwoven into the fabric of daily life. Employing images and symbols drawn from esoteric religious traditions, eastern philosophy, and the natural world, this sparse but rich collection of lyric poems examines without judgment the tension between intimacy and isolation, the desire for connection and the fear of vulnerability, and the ongoing struggle to find meaning and purpose in the face of planetary degradation, cultural digression, and unyielding global turmoil.

Through the interplay of language and the lost art of mystical contemplation, the poet offers a transformative glimpse into the ineffable nature of existence as the human 'I' gets lost in the cosmic 'I.' The reader is thus invited to grapple with fundamental questions concerning the deeper Self, the role of memory in shaping our understanding of reality, and the possibility of temporary suffering as a pathway to permanent joy.

Tim T. Cahill is a writer, musician, filmmaker, and trail runner dividing time between Northeast LA and wherever the mountains call. His poems and short stories have appeared in Samfiftyfour magazine. His short films have won awards at major festivals including Sundance and Cannes.