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Boles'
poem serenades long gone Beat figures. It was written in 1986, long after
the demise of the Beat era, but still relative to the post-Beat
generation. The years have passed, but the poem has not lost anything in
its visionary appeal. When I read the poem, I thought of my friend, the
late Jack Micheline, and I pictured him reading it at a poetry reading.
It's a poem that works well on the written page, but I feel it would be
stronger still if read out loud. I like clarity in
poetry, so that a reader doesn't have to struggle with strained syntax or
inventive grammar. Boles' poem does not disappoint. This is the kind of
book to read over a cup of coffee and leaves you with the feeling you are
being given permission to enter the landscape he has drawn.
Boles' range is impressive, with a large capacity of
genuine feeling. There is no pretension here. The poem speaks with an
authentic vision, all to often lacking in today's poetry world. The
strength prevails throughout the poem as if the reader was sitting across
the table from the poet engaged in a lively conversation.
a.d. winans / 03-17-2011 |
