![\"Book](\"https:\/\/brianjnoggle.com\/bsgfx\/fieldstones.jpg\")
This book, the less expensive of the books by this author that I spotted at Hooked on Books almost a month ago<\/a>, is the work of a professional poet. The author is the assistant editor at The Ohio Review<\/em> at the time, so he’s definitely a pro. But for all that, it’s not so bad.<\/p>\nSome of the poems to do fall to the two-to-four-syllable-lines problem. How can you develop a thought or image in lines that short? Short answer: unless your name is Issa<\/a> and some of the beauty of the poetry is in the brushstrokes themselves, you can’t. But modern poets lurve it, and when I read poems like that, I can here them reciting a couple of short words and then pausing ponderously at the end of the line. Eesh.<\/p>\n At any rate, many of the poems contrast growing up on the farm with today, which although it was then was later than growing up on a farm. I liked it a little more than I thought I would, but I found enough in it to not dislike it. <\/p>\n But none of the poems really touched me. You know, I’ve read a lot of poetry this year–what, about 20 books, give or take how you account for some of them–and not many of the poems or poets stick with me. I liked some of the Mary Phelan<\/a> and John Ciardi<\/a> I read this year, the poem I remember most en toto and even quote bits of to myself comes from Robert Hayden<\/a> whom I read in 2020. So I guess the best I get out of most poetry is that’s nice<\/em> and move on.<\/p>\n Perhaps that’s the best I can hope for from people reading my poetry. Or people reading my poetry at all.<\/p>\n I get a little money if you click here and buy: