In Waiting for the Trout to Speak, her second book of poetry, Honeycutt demonstrates clearly her mastery of the art that she has shared so effectively with her students. She builds on her already established reputation for the delicate lyricism of her work. Honeycutt writes simultaneously about the human condition, and the mystery and beauty of the natural world that surrounds us.

Nationally renowned poet Peter Meinke concludes that Honeycutt's poems are reminiscent of Wordsworth's, and "teach us about the meanings inherent in our own lives. . . . We finish Waiting for the Trout to Speak with the sense of having traveled through a deeply satisfying spiritual landscape."

North Carolina Poet Laureate Fred Chappell agrees. "Honesty and clarity, " he writes, "are the prime guarantees of genuine poetry. Irene Blair Honeycutt offers these qualities so naturally that a reader feels immediately in her personal presence. Fine company she makes, too. Unhurried, intimate but not confessional. . . For all its sorrows, Waiting for the Trout to Speak is cheering to hold and to read." Honeycutt's work is poetry at its best -- evocative and clear, accessible and honest, unflinching in its deep and subtle exploration of what it means to be human.