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A collection of witty and thought-provoking poetry infused with bright, bold Technicolor and pithy insights.
I went through old hard drives, notebooks, and the web to find all the poetry I’ve written. It’s not a lot, about 60 or so, but it was fun looking for them and revisiting some I’d not thought about for a few decades.This book is sort of a “collected works” edition. Some of the poems I’ve worked hard on and some of them were written in less than a minute. I think I tend to like those the best. There are one or two that I set out to do something very specific and I think I accomplished that. Could they all be better? Of course. Are any of them great? One is. I could work for another 30 years on some of these—that’s how poetry goes. But at some point, to steal a phrase from dayjob-land, you gotta ship it.
Poetry Works, Mostly is the “collected works” edition of “about 60 or so” poems that represent a span of several years. “One of them is great,” says the author in the Introduction. “This book is a word temple,” he continues, “At least, it wants to be.”
And it succeeds.
Many of these poems are brief, bite-sized ruminations and reflections on ordinary life or life events. Think of written “sound bites” or “clips” from everyday life. They’re-infused with bright, bold Technicolor in this collection of witty and thought-provoking verse. This includes everything from not-forever stamps to memories, “maybe it’s ADHD,” the dentist, “red lines of time,” Spring, “she likes water in her wine,” Daisy the cat, “Which witch is what” and “an upside-down and dark sonnet” Shakespeare/Horror Lit combo. Also clam chowder and the “One Slipper philosophy.”
Some poems rhyme. Others are free verse. Pithy observations appear in verse that’s sometimes as spare as a scarecrow. At others, it's as loquacious as a talk show host. Stand-outs include Snake and Poodle, They’re AALL Linden Trees, and Raven Brought the Sun. The Take That entries, a series of poems directed at authors such as Flaubert, Burroughs, and Dostoevsky, is both revelatory, provocative, smart, and deliciously sassy.
The writing style has a tongue in cheek wit about it that crackles, pops, and often pierces as the author ably and expertly packs truckloads of emotion and passion into a few brief lines. Perhaps the most searingly poignant and powerful entry in the entire collection is the final poem, Unfortunately. (Bring tissue.)
At about one hundred and twenty-five pages, this collection of poetry, mostly can easily be read in an afternoon. But it’s worth at least a whole day. In fact, if the mere notion of “poetry” makes you want to jump up and run screaming from the room, give Poetry Works, Mostly a chance. It’s different. It’s fresh. It’s worth the time
Lifelong bibliophile. Library Board Member. Select book reviews featured on my blog and Goodreads, etc. I'm a frank but fair reviewer, averaging 400+ books/year in a wide variety of genres on multiple platforms. Over 1,500 published reviews. Still going strong!
I went through old hard drives, notebooks, and the web to find all the poetry I’ve written. It’s not a lot, about 60 or so, but it was fun looking for them and revisiting some I’d not thought about for a few decades.This book is sort of a “collected works” edition. Some of the poems I’ve worked hard on and some of them were written in less than a minute. I think I tend to like those the best. There are one or two that I set out to do something very specific and I think I accomplished that. Could they all be better? Of course. Are any of them great? One is. I could work for another 30 years on some of these—that’s how poetry goes. But at some point, to steal a phrase from dayjob-land, you gotta ship it.
There is a roll of not-forever stamps
in the glove compartment.
Not many on the roll, perhaps ten or so.
They've been there for years and
they are stuck together.
Years of heat and
years of cold
have bound them into a ring.
A never-ending line of three-cents-short,
sticky pieces of paper and
they are worthless
for any sort of correspondence delivery.
And it reminds me of us.
Matthew Oliphant brings his love of nature & adventure to his writing, crafting vivid, thought-provoking tales that challenge readers to see differently. Known for the beauty & honesty of his writing, Oliphant is always striving for originality. He is currently working on another book just for you. view profile
Published on December 01, 2022
10000 words
Contains mild explicit content ⚠️
Genre: Poetry
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