The Hoopoe's Call

"The Hoopoe's Call" is Mike Stone's fifth book of poetry and sequel to his "Call of the Whippoorwill". It contains all new poems covering the years from 2019 to 2020. The hoopoe is Israel's national bird and has occupied a special place in Israeli lore at least as far back as King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Both birds have a personal meaning for the author: the whippoorwill represents the first half of Mike's life, growing up in America, while the hoopoe represents the second half of his life, maturing and discovery in Israel. The poetry in this book reflects the unique perspectives and experiences of an American in Israel. The book is rich in nuanced description. The title poem, "The Hoopoe's Call" is an alternate legend about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, drawing from ancient Hebrew and Ethiopian sources. "Rezek", "Yuval", "Jameela", and "Shebi" are four poems skewered by a single timeline through both sides of the Israel-Gaza border. "Her Columbus" is an empathetic poem about the author's stepmother, a 97-year-old child living and dying in a demented but parallel universe. "Body and Soul' is about the constant change of physical things in time's dimension and the unchanging nature of the soul, which is untouched by time.