Inhaling the Salish Sea: Poems from Whidbey Island

Inhaling the Salish Sea: Poems from Whidbey Island

Sheryl Clough obtained an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she also taught composition and environmental literature to undergraduates. After coming Outside in 1995, she moved to beautiful Whidbey Island in Washington State’s Salish Sea. Sheryl edited and published the anthologies Surrounded: Living With Islands and Through A Distant Lens: Travel Poems. Her chapbook Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone won first prize from the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival. Her second chapbook, Poul na Brone: In the Hollow of the Millstone, is based on travels in Ireland and was published by Flutter Press. Sheryl’s writing has appeared in Bacopa, Third Wednesday, Lilipoh, Sierra, Ghost Town Poetry, Women’s Outdoor Journal and others. --- This newest collection by Sheryl Clough , Inhaling the Salish Sea, describes, with fond detail and sometimes sly humor, her life on Whidbey Island. Each poem is a paean to the rich life that surrounds her, from the motionless stance of blue herons to luminous fireweed. As she says in “Why I Love June,” “Is there gratitude enough / to balance all this beauty?” - Diane Stone, author of Small Favors --- Sheryl Clough’s time on Whidbey Island taught her what could be gained by getting lost far from the mainland. Haunted by the ghosts of early settlers, Inhaling the Salish Sea examines the value of community, the lessons and vicissitudes of daily life, and gratitude for the miracles that disrupt our routines and open up unforeseen possibilities. Nothing escapes the poet’s attention: bumper stickers, street signs, church reader boards, eagles, even the vernacular overheard in the small-town grocery store. The quiet wisdom found in these poems allows us to “lay our burdens down on cedared ground, / fragrant nourishment for the weary.” - Christopher Luna, Inaugural Poet Laureate of Clark County, WA (2013-2017) and founder of Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic --- Copyright © 2025 by boats against the current . All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States. Original poems by Sheryl Clough. Editing and layout by McKenna Deen. Cover photo of Hammons Preserve provided by Whidbey Camano Land Trust. For permissions and inquiries, please contact: editor@boatsagainstthecurrent.org