AIM Higher, Inc., a nonprofit publisher dedicated to elevating powerful and transformative voices, has released 'Mercury Hour,' a book-length poem by acclaimed poet and writer Maureen Alsop. Released in celebration of National Poetry Month, the book is inspired by Juana de Ibarbourou's La Pasajera and enriched by the author's own hand-drawn sigils. 'Mercury Hour' is the sixth title published by AIM Higher, Inc., marking another milestone in the organization's mission to amplify literary works that challenge, inspire, and heal.
In this book-length poem, Alsop writes beautifully distilled stanzas that intertwine passion and grief for the worlds within our world that are disappearing. Amplifying the book's graceful four-line stanzas are Alsop's drawings—moon phases, concentric circles, and astronomical diagrams—that deepen the collection's atmosphere of dream and meditation. For all its attention to brokenness and counterpoint, 'Mercury Hour' ultimately affirms poetry's power—through dream, trance, and mystical vision—to restore what has vanished.
"There is a spirit [in these poems]," writes poet Ruben Quesada, "that is resilient and thriving. Mercury Hour evokes a central question: Can loss be a guiding light across time, space, and the fractured landscape of the heart?" "These poems," adds Eartha Davis, "are an internal rain rivering toward light, then more light, then even more. Yet they are filled by the silence that comes when there is internal singing."
Maureen Alsop, PhD, is a psychologist and writer. She is the author of seven poetry collections, including the visual poetry collection Tender to Empress, and an experimental hybrid novel, Today Yesterday After My Death. Her poems and short stories have appeared in numerous journals, including AGNI, The Kenyon Review, South Dakota Review, and The Lincoln Review, among others. She is the winner of several poetry prizes, including those from Harpur Palate and Bitter Oleander, and a recent Roderick Centre Fellowship.
'Mercury Hour' is now available through AIM Higher, Inc. and select independent booksellers. For business and technology leaders, this release represents the continued importance of creative expression and the publishing industry's role in fostering works that address complex human experiences. The integration of visual elements with poetic text reflects broader trends in multimedia content creation, while the focus on themes of loss and restoration speaks to contemporary societal concerns about environmental change and emotional resilience. The publication demonstrates how traditional literary forms continue to evolve and maintain relevance in a digital age, offering insights into human psychology and the enduring power of artistic expression to process and communicate profound experiences.
