A Craftsman at Play in Creation

Rosemary Bogdan reviews a new volume of poetry by longtime Catholic Mom contributor Jake Frost.

Award-winning author and Catholic Mom contributor, Jake Frost, has written a fourth volume of poetry: A Craftsman at Play in Creation. 

The collection includes rhyming poems covering a great many subjects largely based on Scriptural references, Christian beliefs, and a few on nature and family life. 

Many of the poems are preceded by Scripture verses and sometimes notes to help explain the background of the poem or to enhance the reader’s understanding. Eleven poems include separate background information sections and quite a few others include Bible verses as introduction. These additions can be helpful to readers who may not know the details of the story or concept included in the poem. 

The title poem, “A Craftsman at Play in Creation,” is preceded by two short sections of Biblical introduction. The first section, recognizing God as the Craftsman and the Author of Beauty, includes two passages from the book of Wisdom. The next short section, "In the Beginning," lists verses from the books of John, Genesis, Proverbs, and Job, all detailing the wonders of God the Father and Creator of the universe. 

Then, the poem begins:

He was a Craftsman at play in Creation  
All things to Him a delight 
When he laid the world’s foundation 
And divided from day the night. 

I learned about Saint Cuthman from the notes before the poem “Saint Cuthman at Penfold’s Field.” I had never heard of this seventh-century saint and the miracles associated with his life. It was an interesting story. The background information makes the poem even more enjoyable. The inclusion of a photo of a statue of Saint Cuthman completes the introduction. 

A selection: 

Saint Cuthman in the village Steyning 
Built a church with his own hands 
A shepherd who the sheep obeyed 
When he gave to them commands 

In the Notes before the poem “John Winthrop’s Flour” Jake Frost explains that Winthrop was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the first to describe the United States as a “City on a Hill.” He explains the many hardships the settlers endured and this information allows the reader to more fully appreciate Winthrop’s faith and charity, and God’s providential timing, all referenced in the poem. The photo of a Boston statue of John Winthrop completes the picture. 

Parents will appreciate the poem “Our Maker’s Mark”: 

Everything the craftsman makes 
Bears its maker’s mark 
Burned in wood or carved in stone 
Showing clear and stark  

Just as does the child’s life 
Show the parents’ role 
And each of us our Maker’s mark 
Bear within our soul. 

I love the poem “Baby Clothes”: 

Baby clothes! I can’t believe 
There was ever an arm so small 
To fit in such a tiny sleeve 
But so began us all 

How many of us look at those tiny baby clothes and remember fondly, almost reverently, our babies’ early weeks and months! Did I mention that Jake Frost is a father of five children?  

Every poem has at least one picture, and some have several. The pictures are all black-and-white and include nature photographs, fine-art prints, and photographs of statues and places. The poem “Moon Ever Gazing on the Dawn” includes NASA images of the Earth and the moon. It begins: 

When the moon appears wispy white 
High in a sky of blue
Lingering on after night 
Into a day that’s new.  

And looks upon a world that’s bright 
And across the world it sees the sun 
Even from the realm of night 
Beyond the edge where day’s begun  

The shining edge where first there burns 
The morning’s molten spark 
As on its course the world that turns 
Revolves again from dark 

There are citations for all the pictures conveniently located by page number in the back of the book. 

A Craftsman at Play in Creation by Jake Frost offers poems for many different occasions. I must confess that I don’t read a lot of poetry. This collection though, together with its background notes and pictures, offers a very readable and enjoyable experience of Christian poetry for all ages. 

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Rosemary Bogdan
Images: Canva