Lilliput Review #161

Don Wentworth sent me a couple of his Lilliput Review issues for participating in listing a book I viewed as one of the almost-perfect books of poems and I was delighted to find issue #161 of collective poems, and #162 of poems all by David Chorlton titled A Venetion Sequence. Both were enjoyable reads.

The entire issue of #161 is filled with little gems and for those who are unfamiliar, Lilliput Review publishes poems that are ten lines or less.
Today I would like to review #161 with permission granted to feature some of the poems thanks to Don and the poets:

This issue has many references to Spring, and this particular one line poem made me laugh in spite of its note of despair:

“O Spring! stick a pitchfork in my heart!” by W. T. Ranney of Ithaca, New York.


Then there is this poem by Peggy Heinrich of Santa Cruz, CA:

As a child
I wondered
what kept the moon in the sky
now that I know
I am no happier.

--Isn’t that a beautiful and sad poem? It reminds me of childhood when you believed the moon was full of magic (and who is to say it isn’t?) but then as you grow up it loses its mysteriousness. The moon is held by gravity, a giant rock that merely reflects the sun rather than producing its own light. That may not be what she meant by the poem but of course that’s what sprang to my mind when I read it. How about you? Any other things come to mind?


And finally, the third poem I’d like to feature by Charlie Mehrhoff of Oakland, ME:

Nothing Less

There is no point of origin,
just consider how limiting that would be.

When and where
the pen
comes down upon the page
should not be metaphorical of some point,
it should represent the brush stroke
of all creation.

Strung across twilight.

Intoxicated with belief in its own existence.

Heartbeat within a cradle of bones.

The edge falling off of itself.

Peaks bursting through the floorboards of heaven.

An excuse to be!


--I almost have to read it twice to absorb it because it takes an extra moment to sink in. Really a marvelous poem about something difficult to describe: the purpose of existence without a known beginning. My favorite lines are “Heartbeat within a cradle of bones.” And “The edge falling off of itself.” The lines are hard to picture yet they are understandable. Poets who can craft lines like that I’ll admit I am jealous of.

Issue #161 is a collection that flows smoothly and many of the poems are insightful which is hard to achieve in such small doses sometimes. The poets featured are excellent in that capacity. “Simply Read a Book” is a good example, by Edward Coletti which essentially tells you to take time for yourself, everything will still be there when you return.

If you get a chance to see this issue, please do. Otherwise Mr. Wentworth also features poems from back issues on his blog:
http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/
and if you are so inclined to request a subscription to the journal, then you should click here:
http://lilliputreview.googlepages.com/home

Thanks for reading, please stop by tomorrow for more found poems…