June's Poetry Magazine

I have to say so far in my subscription this one has the highest volume of poems that I really enjoyed reading. That’s my personal opinion, of course. You can also click the link below to read several of the poems featured in their magazine, but I will be discussing ones you won’t find on-line. If you are fortunate enough to grab a copy I hope that you will; it is an excellent issue.

I enjoy this particular poem because the majority of us can relate directly: A.E. Stalling’s poem “written on the eve of my 20th high school reunion, which I was not able to attend” dedicated “For the Briarcliff High School class of 1986.” His poem is the essence of what most of us will be/have been thinking in regards to our class reunions. Arranged in couplets, the lines bring back the memories of those once forgotten, of dreams such as “The dreams of roles for which I learned no lines and knew no cues,/Dreams of pop quizzes with no pants on and no shoes...” Then of course memory serves up this wonderful couplet: “We wince at what we used to wear,/Fashion has made ridiculous the high hubris of our hair.” I just love the alliteration of the letter “h” in that couplet, and of course, always a fan of rhyme. Not only is this poem easy to relate to, it is also tongue-in-cheek which increases my fondness of it. If you happen to find this poem I hope you will make a copy of it for future reference if and when you ever panic over reunions of this kind. I will be keeping it nearby for my own use.

This poem I felt was very moving: “Death” by Donald Revell. What I find most interesting about it is his use of the word “green” on a subject in which you typically find the word “black” instead. For example, the following lines:
“Death,” I said, “if your eyes were green/I would eat them.”
Mr. Revell goes on to describe the layers of green in regards to a sunflower’s soul, and ponders what most would ponder in regards to purpose for space and time. However, he uses words that are far more unique than most somber poems. “The soul is forgiveness because it knows forgiveness./And the knowledge is whirligig./Whirligig taught me to live outwardly.” How often do you use the word “whirligig” in a poem? Let alone one about death? He even uses words such as “Shoe shop…pizza parlor…surgical appliances…” Again, words that are rare with the subject title of “Death.” Now, the reason I find it so moving is because he compares towards the middle/end all the events, real and imagined, that a human being has and concludes by including you. He does this by saying “Dear reader, your eyes are now green,/Green as they used to be, before I was born.” The ending was entirely unexpected for me, since he talks about himself but then includes you at the end because he realizes, as the poet, that you have been immersed in his words and thoughts and hopefully transformed by them. This makes the ending personal and moving without leaving you feeling weighted and sad. I appreciate that.

I hope that you will pick up the June issue of Poetry, many wonderful poems in there and of course there are a few available to read by clicking the link below!

http://www.poetrymagazine.org/

Please stop by tomorrow for more Poems Found by Poet Hound…