WEE reviews May 15, 2006

2. Down, from Life As A Crossword Puzzle by Noah Falck

Julie: I'm stumbling out of the gate. I took the weekend off and it was a mistake. Apparently, if you let your guard down for two days, your momentum goes all to hell and all poems seem to be written in foreign languages and grunts. So these lines:

She speaks a single sentence a day,
waits for those perfect words
to gather at the base of her throat.

Really struck me. How many reviews would I write if I had to wait for the perfect words? I could count them on my nonexistent third hand.

This poem doesn't live up to its opening, I think. It's a nice poem, but nothing vivid or daring. I enjoyed the read, but though I read it first thing this morning, I didn't really have anything to say. And when I reread it 30 minutes ago, I found I had forgotten it. Worrisome.

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Forgiveness by Ioanna Carlsen

Julie: Abstract, deliberately vague, and without much to sink my teeth into. I do like the juxtaposition of:

I deny you three times

The cock crows.
We marry.

Unexpected. But that tension and surprise didn't last long. Scattered, disjointed, no. This one isn't working for me.

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Starling by Dorianne Laux

Julie: A very attractive poem to read aloud. Does it sacrifice sense for sound? Youbetcha. Am I okay with that? Today.