Woman on a Shaky Bridge by Millicent Borges Accardi
Reviewed by Jara Jones
Accardi asserts in the title of one of her poems, "This is What People Do". It's the poetry version of a street busker whipping out the chainsaws and starting to juggle. It's flashy, more than a little cocky, and it draws a crowd.
However, once you've snapped the reader to attention, the poet has got to deliver. And for the most part, Accardi succeeds (specifically with work which effectively combines her skills in economical imagery and clear, gentle repetition). No better example of Accardi's craft can be found than in her ode "For John, For Coltrane", when she writes:
"They say he looked ten
years older than the music;
They say the music used his
his body more
than love..."
While there are a few flat notes in her collection, Accardi's Woman on a Shaky Bridge makes good on its promise to document how "anxiety affects attraction", and is recommended for any poet who wants to see how a skilled artist can marry form with a welcome point of view.
Woman on a Shaky Bridge was published by Finishing Line Press - www.finishinglinepress.com.
# # #
Jara Jones is the brand spanking new poetry editor for Onomatopoeia Magazine and is the sort of chap who'd stab you in the throat. With a paper clip, and a little determination. Or maybe he'll make you some pancakes. Hard to say, really. He thinks good poems should be like hand grenades: brutish, violent, and quick.
©2010 Jara Jones, All Rights Reserved
0 comments:
Post a Comment