Women Who Dream Tigers

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

Vicki Summerfeldt’s first collection of poems is quite beautiful—she
has an elegant touch, and her language is spare but cogent. There are
many references to the natural world, and some of the poems are defined
by the extremes of a prairie climate. A slightly surrealistic tone
infuses a few of the pieces, and all of the poems are rich with imagery.
The topics range from the everyday (sitting in the sun watching a couple
of gardeners) to protesting cruelty (cockfighting), with a fair dash of
the erotic and of hurtin’-type lyrics, including a truly outstanding
one called “Snake Eyes.” The poems are somewhat uniform in length,
giving the book a pleasant cohesion. But be prepared to be surprised,
titillated, and tickled where you least expect it, and to feel the odd
shiver up your spine. This is good stuff.