My online friend Rajani Radhakrishnan, who blogs at THOTPURGE, asked me for my opinions on her new chapbook. She liked the reply so much, she asked if she could share it. I of course gave permission, and so she did, on Instagram, dignifying it by calling it a review.
'Well, if it's a review,' I thought, 'why don't I put it on my SnakyPoet blog too?' So here it is:
Perhaps one of your best – but all your poetry is of such a high standard, it's hard to make such a value-judgment. As you know, your poetry always speaks to me deeply. Also, I am always admiring of the poetics. This is no exception.
My initial, overriding reaction was, 'How sad!' But it's a valid and thoughtful sadness; when couched in such excellent poetry, not off-puting. Indeed, completely appropriate to the circumstances. I like your 'Things about the poems', explaining their genesis and nature. That's a prose-poem in itself! I also like the way the book is organised, and the Neruda-inspired 'Things...' headings. And the punctuating micro-poems! – exquisite and/or aphoristic.
As always, I enjoy your unique blend of intellect and emotion. I was going to say 'unique mix', but in fact it is a blend: aspects of a whole, rather than separate strands joined artificially.
And above all – again, as always – I love the language.
a sodden, inconsolable bass-heavy serenade.
in the thickening dusk / they fade one by one — / reflection, water, heron, I
sorrow preys with yellow owl-eyes,
and so on.
Rajani herself says:
A little chapbook to end a year that has been challenging in so many ways. This collection of poems came from the long months of lockdown and silence. The poems are personal and were hard to write. I hope you can connect with them in your own way.
Write to suspension.point@yahoo.com for your free PDF copy.
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