John came back from a short vacation and put a book of poetry on the desk for me to look at. It was Of This World by Joseph Stroud and oh what a stunning book of poetry this is! From his very brief poems to several amazing sustained contemplative poems, each deeply moving selection is a treat for one’s spirit. Each one begs to be read again—to savor, to examine.
The poem “Provenance”, selected for a Pushcart prize, was written after his father died. It speaks of grief and redemption:
‘I want to tell you the story of that winter
in Madrid where I lived in a room
with no windows, where I lived
with the death of my father, carrying it
everywhere through the streets…..”
In another poem he speaks of the time when he and his two brothers had come together to scatter his father’s ashes:
“A sudden wind
and the ashes gust back over us,
dusting our faces and clothes,
a faint smell and taste of my father in my own body….”
Can you imagine! How deep does one have to go to feel the power of this poem?
The entire volume is filled—as I said—with the most amazing poetry. It begs to be read slowly, letting the words and emotions wash over you once and then once again.
-Yvonne
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