 |
We Are Here: Village Poets Anthology Reviewed by Michael Escoubas In the 1950s my parents took my brothers and me to a science fiction thriller entitled, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Such movies were the “in-thing” at the time. For three impressionable grade-school boys, the whole thing was pretty scary. As our parents came into our bedroom to say evening prayers with us, they sensed our upset. Leaving the room, they touched our hands saying, “We are here, nothing bad is going to happen to you.” Eventually, we got over our fright. I thought about their words as I worked my way through the poems collected by editors Trochimczyk and Hitt. We Are Here, resonates with me on two levels. For over a decade Village Poets of the Sunland-Tujunga community have borne witness to Californians about the magic of poetry. They organize poetry readings, write poetry, and publish books keeping the art and craft of poetry alive for generations yet unborn. On another level, I found myself taking notes on those poems which spoke to me as my parents did long ago. We are Here, became for me, a series of windows which nourish my life here and now. Organization The volume is attractively organized under two headings: Part 1. Featured and Guest Poets; Part 2. Poets Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga. Contributor’s names appear in all-caps followed by their poems on successive pages. With some 80 participating poets, the designers have done a masterful job of pagination for optimal aesthetic appeal. At the end, each contributor is featured with an interesting biographical sketch. Craftsmanship If the pure love of poetry is your thing, We Are Here, will not disappoint. The Village Poets use virtually every poetic device in their well-stocked toolkits: end-rhyme, alliter- ation, assonance, consonance, prose poems, wild and exciting indentations such as Peggy Dobreer’s “Exquisite Harmonics.” There are metaphorical connections, which had me smiling with Ah! Ha! moments all the way through. In addition, I was impressed with both the complexity of some creations as well as many poems which featured simplicity on the page. Bill Cushing gets a lot done with his poem: Pelicans Slowly circling, the pelican drops like a stone into water. Then climbing the air, he stops, and with a single motion of wings, glides on the wind. Thankful for the ride, I reluctantly dismounted! We Are Here—Opening Windows to Life Christopher Askew opened a window to outer and inner “place” in this excerpt from “There Is a Place”: there is a place where sun and wind collide with towering fortresses of rock and cloud where time and rivers flowing carve in ruddy plans deep spaces vast and clear in one such deep a hollow curves a dimple in the palm of God Humor is a delightful window opened by Beth Baird in “Ode to a Temporary Relationship”: You documented my existence We took photos capturing moments From our 753 days together For this and more, I THANK YOU!! But now you lie in state I felt your energy slipping away You could not hold your charge any longer The poem goes on to reveal the poem’s true subject … don’t miss out on this one! An impressive range of subject-matter and depth of thought are revealed by interesting titles: Madeleine Swift Butcher’s “What She Cries,” treats the very personal theme of parental disappointment, Butcher, “carries her mother on her back.” Educator, Don Kingfisher Campbell’s poem “Showing a DVD on the Galapagos to a Ninth Grade Class,” is irresistible in its showcasing of diffident students. Jerry Garcia invited me along, “While Walking the Dog Last Evening.” You won’t believe where this poem takes you. Another title, “The Magic of Mom,” held me at gunpoint: Oh, MOM, your name’s a palindrome; it’s letters they form that. It reads MOM going to the right. From left? It reads MOM back! Dependable that MOM word is, in quality so true. The YOU we always do count on, Today, you get your due! Three hundred sixty-five the days, just one we celebrate. We ought to celebrate you more; perhaps a weekly fete? A magic MOM in ambigram, so please, do take a bow! For even more— —just flip that name, And MOM turns into WOW! In each of these poems and many more, I came because of the title; I stayed because of the content. Windows opened by the Poets Laurette of Sunland-Tujunga First off, I was struck by the interesting history of former and current poets-laureate. This section features photos, brief biographies, and selected poems by each. Marlene Hitt’s “Arrival,” displays tender pathos as she anticipates the return home of her first-born son. “I will open my arms / to you, my firstborn child / so long traveling.” Katerina Canyon’s “Feet,” is a riveting poem that took me to places, times, and memories that surprised me all the way through. Wherever I looked among these poems, the windows I opened never failed to nourish my life-sensibilities, adding to my life the fresh air of love and wisdom. Maja Trochimczyk’s “What I Love in Sunland,” provides ample proof: 1. The strong arms of the mountains embracing, protecting our town 2. The lights scattered in the night valley during my drive to the safety of home 3. How clouds sit on the hilltops squishing them with their fat bottoms 4. The river playing hide-and-go-seek under the bridge to nowhere: “now you see me—now you don’t” 5. The towering white glory of yucca flowers in June— we are Lilliputians in the giants’ country 6. The Mockingbird’s melodies floating above red-roofed houses asleep on little sunny streets 7. Armenian fruit tarts sweeter than fresh grapefruit and pomegranate from my trees 8. Hot, shimmering air, scented with safe and star jasmine, carved by the hummingbird’s wings 9. The rainbow of roses, always blooming in my secret garden It is little wonder that the Village Poets have served their community and the larger world of letters with singular distinction.
|
