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Knowing When–Poems
by Mark Fleisher
26 Poems ~ 38 pages
Price: $12.00 + Shipping
Publisher: Mercury Heartlink
ISBN: 978-1-949652-26-0
To Order: Amazon.com
Or from: Mark Fleisher, 3939 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Unit 41,
Albuquerque, NM 87107. Send $12.00 Plus $3.00 shipping.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Knowing When, is poet Mark Fleisher’s sixth collection. In it Fleisher touches upon some of life’s most poignant moments. Even the title beckons readers to cross a threshold of experiences. Poems such as “The Mystery Of It All,” “My Favorite Time,” and “Butterfly Blessings,” remain faithful to Fleisher’s explorations of everyday life. Knowing When, will touch readers in the present moment as well as “The Other Side of Loneliness.”
ADVANCE PRAISE:
“To use a well-known movie cliché, Knowing When, by Mark Fleisher, ‘Had me from hello.’ These engaging poems seemed to channel my life. For example, “My Favorite Time,” somehow knew that ‘I prefer darkness / when I am not / blinded by the light / nor bombarded / by distractions / laying siege / to eyes, ears, minds.’ Many such gems form a glittering necklace waiting to be worn by fortunate readers.”
–Michael Escoubas, author of Ripples Into the Light: PhotoPoetry, with Photographer, Vandana Bajikar
“When I first encountered the wise poems in Mark Fleisher’s new collection, I was struck by how such a slim, easy-to-read volume had so much to say about reality. He seemed to know where and how most people dwell within life’s daily struggles. Indeed, Mark Fleisher and I are about the same age, we hail from the same generation. His down-to-earth poems fit my life like a custom-made shawl . . . just the right length, made from materials that wrapped me in comfort.
–Sharmagne Leland-St. John, author of Images: A Collection of Ekphrastic Poetry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Albuquerque writer Mark Fleisher has not been nominated for any prizes–let alone won–and aside from two semifinal finishes, has not been close to winning any contest. Despite these setbacks the Air Force veteran soldiers on, with five previous books of poetry sitting on shelves of friends and people he does not know. His work has appeared in online and print publications including Southern Arizona Press, Gnashing Teeth Publishing, and Otherwise Engaged, in the United States, Sky Wing Press and Black Dog and One-Eyed Press in Canada, Stripes Magazine, in Nigeria, the POET Magazine, in the United Kingdom, Kistretch Poetry, in Kenya, and Amaranth and Wingless Dreamer in India. During his time as a background extra in New Mexico’s flourishing television and film industry Fleisher hobnobbed (well not exactly) with such luminaries as Ethan Hawke, Liam Neeson, Uma Thurman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lou Diamond Phillips and Hugh Jackman. He holds a journalism degree from Ohio University and his prior employment in newspapers spanned the era from hot type and Linotype machines to computer generated publications.
Knowing When–Poems was a finalist for the 2023 New Mexico Poetry Book of the Year by the New Mexico-Arizona Book Co-op.
FROM THE BOOK:
Unity
by Mark Fleisher
Invoke the Spirit
as embers from
the burning sage
send sacred smoke
to anoint this house
Ancient chants heard
if only from memories
we welcome a New Year
we wish good and sweet
Watch with horror and disbelief
at barbarism designed
to erase these cultures
from the human landscape
Yet they persevere, sharing
an unexpected commonality
ancient cultures
diverse traditions
joining to unite
in a world needing
to heal divisions
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