April is National Poetry Month. With several poetry books published, it is obvious that I am a fan of the genre. On April 11 at 6pm my Watch City Readers FB live feed will be devoted to the art of poetry. Included in this month's Lucci's List is the WCR featured poet, Peter Payack! I am able to produce WCR through a grant from the Waltham Cultural Council and the Mass Cultural Council, which I am dearly grateful for.
For this month's list, I have chosen a wide variety of poetry to entertain and evoke emotion from all sorts of readers. I truly hope you enjoy this list. Let me know what you think by liking and replying to this article!
"The Migration of Darkness" by Peter Payack
"The Migration of Darkness: New and Selected Science Fiction Poems, 1975-2020" by Peter Payack is officially my favourite poetry book of all time. It is a one of a kind collection of out of this world poetry. One need not be a poetry devotee to appreciate the hilarity and mind-bending stories within each narrative.
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The title poem, "The Migration of Darkness," is about just that: roving specks of night traipsing and traveling together. It begins:
"Each evening, shortly after sunset,
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darkness covers the land.
Having mystified thinkers for millennia,
the mechanism for this occurrence
has now been identified as migration."
Science fiction themes range from matter to anti-matter, galaxies, quasars, and dust, the concepts of time and timelessness, and worlds beyond the obvious. Through Payack's words, the reader witnesses then Big Bang while dusting around the house. Next time, he quips, he'll use a vacuum.
Most of the poems twist like plot lines in a novel. Others read simply and stunningly. Each one earners a reaction. Some are intrinsically beautiful.
"Surfing at Night"
"I had a dream,
in which I'm floating
in the ocean
on a bed of blue-green algae.
There was algae as far as I could see,
and I heard a voice say,
"The difference
between living and dying,
being and non-being,
is just where you catch the wave."
I covered my head
with my blanket
and rode the wave back to sleep."
Humour strikes the funny bone throughout. In "The Fabric of Space," the poet discovers that the tears in an old nightshirt are stars forming constellations, which are eventually sucked into a black hole until the garment disappears completely. The poem ends:
"I'm a little hesitant
about picking out another shirt."
In "Now the Bon Vivant," Genghis Kahn bewails the pleasures of modern society as he retakes his previous territory.
"The only drawback now
is that Genghis has to shell out
for the departure tax
at each European airport.
"Things weren't like that,"
he confided to me, rather demonically,
"when I ruled the world.""
"The Migration of Darkness" is not an ordinary collection of poetry. It is a whirlwind of must-read individual works. I wildly recommend this book to EVERYONE.
"The Joy of I.T." by Lali A. Love
"The Joy of I.T. Infinite Transcendence, Anthologies of Inspirational Insights, Poetry, and Visionary Art" compiled by Lali A. Love is a gorgeous book. Essays, poetry, and art combine in this beautiful collection celebrating womanhood and humanity.
Essays separated each section, such as "The Truth of Love," and "Wholeness." Some were clear and uplifting, while others were compacted with new-age jargon not easily understandable or relatable to me. I did still enjoy the majority of them and appreciated the messages of self-motivation, mindfulness, and harmony within yourself and relationships with other people.
Each essay was followed by inspirational quotes which offered a brief moment to think and meditate on powerful words. I liked the chosen quotes because they were good touchstones to reflect on at a moment's glance.
Original poetry abounded beautifully. These poets are talented, inspirational, and a pleasure to read. Many of the poems are worth flipping back to and reading again. I particularly liked "She Spread Her Wings" by Gillian Small.
"She spawned her wings of Golden light,
Cascading through ways of time and plight.
Iridescent shimmers breaking free,
from lifetimes of dependent patriarchy."
Mystical looking art emblazoned the pages, articulating the brilliance of the message in each word. Rainbowed kaleidoscopes, serene angellic scenes, and powerful goddesses shining in light were gorgeously depicted.
This would be a wonderful book for women interested in meditation, feminism, poetry, and art.
"Deep Love" by Vic Hall
"Deep Love" by Vic Hall is a collection of romantic poems about a perfect love just right for fans of sweet romance.
Written in classic rhyming styles, the stanzas are easy to read and there is no mystery about what each line means. It is all pure love.
Loving, sensual, heartfelt, emotional, sweet, simple; "Deep Love" portrays romantic relationships in the highest values.
From "Blue Sky:"
I really love this time of year
When the sky is still blue,
The flowers are whispering in the breeze,
As we walk hand in hand, me and you."
Poems of a perfect love from the viewpoint of a man to a woman fill the pages of this short and sweet poetry book. This is a heavenly love of utopia, where no trouble exists. There are no lovers' quarrels, marital spats, or make-up sex. Only rainbows and sunshine, passionate kisses, and tender affection.
The woman subject is angelic, beautiful, and radiant in the poet's eyes.
Some poems tell a story, such as two lovers meeting beneath a moonlit sky. Others describe memories of romantic dinner dates. Throughout, the woman subject is regarded as nothing less than perfect. She is flawless in every way; there is no end to her beauty and her sensuality. The love the man and the woman share is described as god-sent.
From "Simply Divine:"
"Sunlight comes softly through the window
As we lay beneath the duvet of love,
As she lay sleeping in all her beauty
She sleeps peaceful like that of a dove."
At times redundant, and over-the-top mushy, this collection of poems is still valid for its message of persistent romantic love.
"Perspective to Pen" edited by Ben C. Ward, created by Robert A. Cozzi
"Perspective to Pen: An Anthology," is a collection of poetry and prose is worthy of every reader to delve into.
Edited by Ben C. Ward and created by Robert A. Cozzi, it features the works of familiar and fresh voices. Robert A. Cozzi. Brian Fuchs, Lisa Bain. Shanika Benoit, Max Asbeek Brusse, Emily Salt, Nathaniel Chin, Anthony James Rivera, Cody James, Davian Williams, Carl Straut-Collard, and Ben. C. Ward make up this anthology.
Lisa Bain went on a global solo adventure to recapture her sense of self after becoming a young widow. Her poetry is based in grief and mourning.
From "Baggage (v,2):"
"I silently berate myself, forcing tears away.
Someday I'll acknowledge what it took to make it to this day.
But for now, unzipping my bag, I dump the contents on the floor.
I'm done with this.
I refuse to carry deadweight with me anymore."
Robert A. Cozzi is an award winning poet who mentors writers internationally.
From "Living Alone in 2020"
"Sometimes
Music is his only comfort
Brokenhearted lovers mourning their losses
Lamenting their loneliness
Is all that salves him
The music brings the sting of isolation
To such a precise agony
That it makes him feel less alone"
Brian Fuchs is a woods-dwelling poet who focuses on small details in his writing.
From "A Mood:"
"She is spending time
figuring things out,
getting help with grief.
We aren't drinkers.
It wasn't what she thought
and her mom is still dead.
Everything smells -
mildew and potatoes.
It's old, everything is old.
I'm tired.
Shanika Benoit was born in Trinidad and now lives in Connecticut, USA. Her writing reflects inner dialogue and observations of her personal life.
From "On Guidance:"
"It can come to you in a dream,
little nudges from your destiny,
a calling, a journey you must take."
Max Asbeek Brusse is originally from the Netherlands where he grew up on fairytales. This shows through in his poetry.
From "Drifting Away:"
"I paddle to the middle of the lake
Long strokes, making the water "shush shush" around me
Besides the company of some ducks I am all alone."
Emily Salt is a poet known for writing abut mental health and the stigmas attached to mental illness.
From "Release the Elephants:"
"These elephants don't despair
No-one's bothering to acknowledge them anyway
Big or tiny
These grey marvels are getting comfy
There's one on the couch"
Nathaniel Chin writes from a Christian religious viewpoint, and investigates the inner burdens and hopes of humanity.
From "Intersectionality:"
"But if I were to be defined by a word,
I'd be a metaphor,
The archetype of meaning and divine inspiration.
A Neoplatonic spark,
Cast in brown skin.
Born within the caste
Of the working-class hero"
Anthony James Rivera is a Latin American poet from New England. His poetry focuses on relationships and jaded hopes.
From "Take a Stand:"
"When you stand alone
No on e else can take your stance
The shoes might fit
But only you can wear the pants"
Cody James writes from the perspective of a reformed delinquent. His poetry exposes the questions and pain of living through life's disappointments.
From "Cell Ceiling Blues:"
"I'm here to deep clean
Spring clean
My cell ceiling blues
Scrub the remnants and tenements of
past souls whom knew just what to do"
Davian Williams writes poetry with storytelling in mind.
"From "Bet It All On Hearts:"
"Money speaks loudly in a casino,
But could never outstand
The worth of a man's words."
Carl Strait-Collard is a New Yorker with a passion for the arts and activism.
From "Break Thru and Write:"
"Empty pockets take the weight off my pen.
I release time/space on my own clock
With visions of fellow Writers
Composing together and alone."
Ben C. Wars is a young man whose survival of domestic abuse pours into his emotional words.
From "Memento Mori:"
"I can't find my father's bones, but it's possible that they're mine too. I shudder at the thought and approach the city's edge, where the violin cries broken sobs, trying to catch its breath."
This is a poetry collection to be treasured by both readers and writers.
"The Warhol Pillows" by Diane Wald is filled with themes of death and mortality, mourning and impending doom.
It includes poignant thoughts and deep symbolic fragments that paint pictures of emotional events.
"she who speaks with her whole body
hears the silence"
-from "Widow Widow
Some poems are simpler, and hit the reader straight on with vivid storytelling.
"This Time"
"day to day
little changes toward death
don't notice us
or we them
then an oriole flies
into our window
and for a single reason
our bones jangle
it's nothing we say
as the bird flies away
the bird was not harmed
this time"
Much of the poetry is sophisticated, yet lends itself to a universal feeling of understanding and relatability.
"In the cool sky over Arkansas,
I saw a rose etched in the sky.
Th smallest airplanes were elegant,
lifting achingly off the fields along the river."
-from "Interview With Lisp"
Some longer poetic prose are stories of dreams, conversations, and break-ups. Others are more succinct, delicately concise. The title poem, "The Warhol Pillows," is on elf the longer poems that tells a tale without intention. It details the speaker's observation to her friend, perhaps her lover. The speaker acts as the lover's model for photography, and it is always an experience of peace and joy for both of them. They visit the Andy Warhol Museum in New York, and here the poignant signature poem binds the story together. It ends with two powerful stanzas.
"in this his fashionable city, where everything shines
with a clip from some honest and crazy film
where people say just what they mean
without realizing what they are doing."
The poet demonstrates a range of skills, exhibiting various types and styles of poetry.
"Three" is a poem told in three parts. It is a story of three men, told by an onlooker. Each man is distinct, as is each section. Between related an unrelated lines, the reader grows to understand just what the watcher sees.
The poet's ability to weave a short story shines throughout, such as in "Don and the Family Matter."
Throughout the book, relationships are questioned; those of friends, lovers, couples, acquaintances. Each poem leaves its own mark on what these relationships mean at any given moment.
Smart, modern, and to the point, there is just enough mystery in each poem to make the reader think and wonder, and continue reading.
"Kittybat" by Marie Counihan is a charming children's story book designed to help toddlers and preschoolers ease into sleep. The sweet poem is accompanied by full page illustrations, bringing the tale to life.
"The Headless Bust, "A Melancholy Meditation on the False Millennium," is like an absinthe inspired psychedelic flashback shared by Dr. Seuss and Charles Dickens. Exquisite illustrations and nonsensical rhymes adorn every page, creating a strange world of metered romp.
"Bad Poetry Night" by E. Christopher Clark is based on the notion of "Bad Poetry Night" sponsored by "The Bradford ReView" to encourage participants in a game of constructing poorly written poems based on words pulled out of a hat. Sounds fun!
This poetry collection is at times upbeat and at times delightful in its inane "bad" ness. Mostly, the poems are more cynical, pitting; painful. They are often more poignant than you might expect from a book with such a downer name.
I think E. Christopher Clark describes the art of creating poetry perfectly in "Frail Words, Frail Deeds."
"I only drop a verse
when a story won't come,
when words are a flat pond and
making a sentence
is like carrying water
with my cupped hands
my only vessel.
This collection is for adult audiences, not only for the clever concoctions of swears and vulgarity, but also for the edgy humour of life only gained by time.
Some poems made me smile with nostalgia, some made me outright chuckle, and some caused my breath to form an "oh" in melancholic understanding.
"Bad Poetry Night" is a must read for adult fans of sardonic poetry.
Also, how cool to read a poetry book by a local Massachusetts author!
