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More about the vibes than the imagery, an interesting little collection of poetry that is all mood.
"Notes on the End" is a poetical cry and a complaint about current times; it is an attempt to make sense of the world while searching for hope when all seems lost...
Orion Lander describes his (I think...) first full length poetry collection as "a poetical cry", a paen of some sort to modern times, and Notes on the End does seem to accomplish that on certain levels. Lander does have something to say, several somethings, about heartbreak, and loss, and toxic relationships, and the decay of modern society, climate change, and finding hope in the darkness. These are all excellent topics for poetry, and the kinds of things that can be woven into a collection, but the absence of concrete language makes Notes on the End ring slightly hollow for this reader.
That said, I am not sure concrete language or specific imagery was necessarily Lander's goal. A jog through his published bio and a look at some of the other things listed on his Amazon page tells me that Orion Lander is far more interested in mood and impression than in creating something as tangible as Rodney Jones "For Katy", as durable as Joy Harjo's "Perhaps the World Ends Here", or deliciously specific as Danez Smith's "Dinosaurs in the Hood". Lander is creating a vibe, and in that he is successful in imparting heartache, or loss, or resilience, and the glimmer of hope at the end of a long night.
A few of the more successful poems in this regard are the three "Interlude"s that punctuate the collection, "Reflections After Stumbling Across Someone's Photoshopped Selfie" in the first half of the collection, "Don't Want to Leave Like This" towards the end, and the haunting second poem "I'm Exorcising You Tonight".
An overall interesting collection from a poet who has published quite a bit, but never before in this volume, Notes of the End is a collection for readers who want to spin some slow jazz, dim the lights, and just feel vaguely for a while.
I'm an author, poet, part time book reviewer, and PhD. None of which impresses my cat, and only some of which pays my bills. I tend towards urban or dark fantasy and poetry, but will read anything. If you enjoy my reviews, don't forget to like or leave a tip!
"Notes on the End" is a poetical cry and a complaint about current times; it is an attempt to make sense of the world while searching for hope when all seems lost...
These could be notes
On a music sheet
Or on music,
These could be thoughts
Or nothing at all;
Spoken words in dreams
Or from dreams,
Imagined conversations,
Non-verbal interactions,
Virtual scribbles
In a rush
Not to lose them,
At times slow-paced and heavy in their slumber,
In their own fashion of shifting rhythms
Hopefully
At pleasure.
I write poetry, short stories and screenplays. I love languages and my works are usually written in English and Spanish. view profile
Published on November 29, 2022
3000 words
Contains mild explicit content ⚠️
Genre: Poetry
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