Morning Grift by Alex Missall

Alex Missall studied creative writing at the University of Cincinnati. His work has appeared in many publications, including Superpresent, Unleash Lit, and Pictura Journal. His debut poetry collection A Harvest of Days is available through Finishing Line Press. He resides in Ohio with his family, three dogs, and a bunny named Boy #3. You can find him at www.alexmissall.com.

 

PRAISE:

 

In Morning Grift, poet Alex Missall explores the natural and the philosophical in quiet, searching rhythm. Set against the shifting landscapes of Ohio, from wooded trails to open paths that seem to circle back on themselves, this collection follows a solitary voice navigating loss, memory, and moments of subtle transcendence. Guided by a loose thread of Fox Zen, these poems do not seek fixed answers but instead dwell in the spaces between knowing and unknowing. A man walks, pauses, listens, sometimes grounded, sometimes disoriented, as the physical world mirrors an inner searching that never fully resolves. There are echoes of grief here, but they are not heavy; rather, they move gently through the work, giving way to reflection, stillness, and occasional clarity. The landscapes become more than a setting; they are companions in thought, shaping a journey that is as much inward as it is outward. With restraint and quiet precision, Morning Grift offers a contemplative experience, one that lingers, like a path revisited, or a question left open just long enough to matter.

–Lateef Akinleye, Literary Consultant