Here is a poet with spirit large enough, and a history deep enough to do justice to the rich and sprawling continent of Africa. His is no heart of darkness, it is rather, a heart filled with light and love for the creatures, and the people, and the beauty of this land. ELEPHANT CAKE WALK is a jewel, with exquisite photographs from the Amboseli Game Reserve by Cynthia Moss and others to highlight and polish every facet of Oerke's checkerboard vision. As William H. Banks, Jr. tells us from Harlem, " Andrew Oerke's superb collection of poetry stands tall and strides majestically through to the very heart of Africa, while guiding the reader on an unforgettable literary journey."
Never before in the many books and published poems has Andrew's environmental ethic, his insight, his intense attachment to nature, his comprehension of the ancient aspects of the earth and her living animals and plants been explicit. His multiple other poetry books and single poems seen at Andrewoerkepoetry.org hint at his strong attachment to a healthy earth. Elephant Cake Walk was oneof the final manuscripts Andrew pored over, and worked on during his last weeks, with grandfatherly desire that his grandchildrenCashen and Odin would love the animals he wrote about.