Summer slips away, leaving room for Fall. The first order of the day is to talk for a moment about a friend's book of poems, Selene by Michael Odom. I see this book as a reflection of an obsession. A woman. A sorceress. A corpse. An eternal ambivalence, love and hate. The cover uncovers, revealing the … Continue reading Return from the Abyss
Boredom Vice and Poverty arrived in my mailbox yesterday. And I mean that literally. It's the title (taken from Voltaire's Candide) of Michael Odom's most recent chapbook. Here's a stunning image from his poem titled "Boredom Poem #9:" "...in the chasm between life and life, philosophies breed and cannot help but swarm like bees with the queen on … Continue reading Poems for the Weak of Heart
A friend's poetry chapbook arrived in the mail today, just in time. Here's a brief excerpt: "Selene cut the blooms from the neighbors' roses,Floating them with oil in the bath. I counted Twelve wicks. Less my bifocals, they were straight tongues. Making love in petals and half-drowned rose scentFeels like something aphids do after rainstorms." --From Strutting, Attracting, … Continue reading Surprise Valentine Poem for You
Jilanne Hoffmann 