O life, you are a saucy minx. All of your payoffs and demands, and payoffs’ demands. The key for me so far is sharing life with people – one in particular – grateful for the sharing. We strive for brilliance together – light, enlightenment, giving, community, beauty – that’s where comfort lives, though it can still be nubbly and spiky. Mixing sharing and brilliance with love allows hearts to beat and expand together. Life is a carnival, a trip, endless challenges and opportunities. I’m so proud of my girls, who are spreading brilliance and love, and who are realizing as teenagers how that enriches their lives and happys their brains. It makes my heart even bigger. We are people who make our lives better by making others’ lives better. And now, on to more sharing: the poets!
J. Phillip Reed is a brilliant poet, and – remarkably – still a student! But I am not exaggerating; his work is brilliant. I got the opportunity to interview him, too, and his answers to questions about craft and life are also brilliant – wide-ranging, funny, poignant, confident (well-earned), and fierce. Mr. Reed is a master of language, and I can’t wait to see where this young man’s career heads. His poetry is an orchestra of words, metaphors, and meanings, repetitions of words and sounds, onomatopoetic rhythms, gentle slams, thought-provoking everything. And his interview is another window into his brilliance and charm. I’m putting this one on do-not-miss status – and keep your eyes open: I suspect you’ll be seeing more great things from this poet in the future.
Associate Editor Mia Avramut shares the beautiful work of one poet this month. Mia writes:
Tammy Ho Lai-Ming’s poems stunned me, with their mix of delicate reflection, dreamy backgrounds, wide-awake observation and irony. Details of everyday life converge and open into a Universe rediscovered.
Matthew Nadelson also rejoins the column this month with two poems set to a soundtrack! Mr. Nadelson was our first-ever contributor here at Connotation Press, and we hold a special place in our hearts for him and his work. The poems he shares with us this month are sharp and rich with imagery. They’re as comforting as they are disturbing. Welcome back, Matthew!
Associate Editor JP Reese brings us work by one poet this month. JP writes:
Jane Blue captures perfectly the idea of spring as a time of rebirth and renewal, but her poem has deeper implications than spring has sprung. "Another Fiction" captures a peeling away of protective layers, a cleansing that does not deny or gloss over the pain that comes with change. This poem is full of lovely images. Read it and "immerse yourself in the profligate odor of violets."
We also have one poem from poet John D. Fry to share with you this month. I love the circularity of this poem – in the repetition of its words and similar words, in its ideas, and in the way it moves your eyes across the page. I love the questioning nature of the poem and its resort to at least one new word – or at least a highly obscure word (yes! poets create language!) in an attempt to describe what may be indescribable, to understand what may not be understandable. I love that it verges on the grand but remains humble. I love that it inspires thinking.
Come on in, happy your brain, and share the troubles and joy.