The Bronze Serpent

“In a contemporary poetry scene that too often privileges those who would pose among the commonplace, Edward Lense’s The Bronze Serpent refuses to assume the position. These poems are unapologetically sophisticated, both poetically and noetically. With careful attention to pitch and pulse, Lense composes a definitive musicality that speaks to the ear and the heart: this accomplished work challenges the mind as surely as it braces the spirit. His meditations are devotional in every better sense.”


—William Jolliff, professor of English, George Fox University





“The most profound form of faith is one that makes room for questions and doubt. These poems offer meditations on familiar biblical stories as well as restrained but cogent re-imaginations of their relevance to modern spirituality that are valuable regardless of one’s religious or philosophical inclinations.”


—Steven Abbott, distinguished professor emeritus of English, Columbus State Community College