Meet the Mischievous Voice Within in “The Monkey Tree”

In “The Monkey Tree: New and Selected Poems,” Michele Heeney gives that voice a personality of its own. Sometimes the monkey is rude. Sometimes it is angry, playful, or lost in a daydream. Yet beneath its mischief is a surprisingly honest reflection of the thoughts, emotions, and contradictions people often try to hide.

Across 52 poems, Heeney moves effortlessly between humor and heartache. She writes about forgiveness after love, the pain of losing people and animals, the pressure to please others, the passing of time, and the importance of remaining true to oneself.

Her poems also explore travel, spirituality, nature, childhood memories, relationships, and the experience of growing older. One moment may bring readers face-to-face with grief; the next may make them laugh over pesto, Christmas, genetics, or an unruly monkey that refuses to follow social expectations.

At the center of the collection is a simple but meaningful lesson: people do not always need to silence the difficult voice within. Sometimes they need to listen to it.

In Travel Guide, Heeney offers a reminder that captures the spirit of the collection:
“Where you go matters little if you’re not present in yourself.”

That message makes “The Monkey Tree” especially meaningful for readers navigating change, heartbreak, aging, guilt, or the struggle to live more honestly. The poems encourage readers to forgive without forgetting themselves, resist limiting labels, appreciate the body that has carried them through life, and make room for laughter during difficult moments.

The collection is approachable even for those who do not usually read poetry. Its poems are brief, conversational, and easy to revisit, yet they carry ideas that may remain with readers long after the final page.

About Michele Heeney

Michele Heeney’s poetry is shaped by a remarkable life of service, travel, creativity, and close connection with nature. A former obstetrics and gynecology nurse practitioner, she worked with Planned Parenthood and later served Mexican farmworker communities in California. Her experiences also include the Peace Corps in West Africa, studying Spanish in Costa Rica, scuba diving in Fiji and Micronesia, and living near the Big Sur wilderness. She now lives and writes in New Mexico.

“The Monkey Tree” is a witty, compassionate companion for anyone who has questioned the rules, carried an old hurt, searched for forgiveness, or wondered whether the unruly voice inside might have something worthwhile to say.

Purchase “The Monkey Tree” Meet the monkey. Hear what it has to say. Perhaps recognize a little of yourself along the way. Purchase

“The Monkey Tree: New and Selected Poems” by Michele Heeney today at:
https://micheleheeney.com/

Published by The Ewings Publishing LLC

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