WEE reviews May 29, 2006

Quail by Dore Kiesselbach

Julie: Apostrophed heads! I haven't read a descriptor that I like more than that in ages. This poem does everything right, condensing a long story into short lines, allusive and simple. I like everything about it, though I'm generally not a fan of linebreaks through words. Devastation in a single line of quail. Really well done.

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My Tender Heart by Molly Tenenbaum

Julie: This poem started well, very well. I was especially happy with the sneaky slant rhymes and the "hot bun's inner butter." But strophe 4 seems to go awry, with a rhyme that calls huge attention to itself without enough justification. Then we're headed in a different direction, and I felt disillusioned. The end leaves me feeling dusty and confounded. Still, I want to read more by this poet.