|
So Many Miles: Fifty Senryu by Olivier Schopfer (2019 Alien Buddha Press) 6” x 9” Perfect-bound paperback. 68 Pages. ISBN 9781090237958 www.amazon.com Reviewed by Robin Anna Smith. ,As the name implies, Olivier Schopfer’s So Many Miles: Fifty Senryu takes readers on a journey. Not surprising coming from this photographer, it is filled with snapshots of everyday life, which are depicted in a manner that sparks a reverberation of wonder and contemplation. Some are high-focus with more detail, while others zoom out to leave more room for the reader to find their own focal point/s. The book is divided into three sections: “Escalators,” “So Many Miles,” and “Empty Cocoon,” each with their own feel and sense of moving through time and space. In many of his senryu, Schopfer employs the use of seasonal references, which add a sense of grounding to the otherwise humancentric collection. * mixed couple drinking pints of pale and dark ale * While this image may draw us to the coincidence of the mixed beers and mixed skin tones, it also resonates with an unbiased view of race, allowing us to contrast this harmonious image with some of the nastier things we see in the news and everyday life. * half-moon your hidden dark side * What lies on the dark side of the moon? It brings to mind the philosophical thought experiment: “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Is this “hidden” side something we regularly see but take for granted? Or are these traits things we overlook in the presence of something/someone awe-inspiring? * deep autumn you show me your true colors * This is another thought-provoking senryu about state of being. Does a leaf really change or is what we see visually simply part of the lifecycle? Do people really change or camouflage who they really are? Or do we selectively put on blinders to only see the parts of people that we wish to see and ignore the rest to make them more appealing? * subway rush hour the effort it takes to avoid eye contact * Most of us have probably been in this situation, whether on public transit, on our morning coffee run, or dropping the kids off at school. In our daily rush to the next thing, we often miss out on something important—that human connection. While we may see some of the same faces repeatedly, we often choose to keep to ourselves as opposed to get to know the people around us. * social me me me media * This is another great reflection of our current interactions, both with each other and the world, in general. While many avoid personal contact on one hand, on the other, more impersonal hand, they are exhibitionists. While social media can be a way to increase contact and strengthen bonds, it can have the opposite effect via showmanship and the often-negative responses to it. * So Many Miles by Olivier Schopfer is a remarkable collection of senryu that takes the reader on a journey of the everyday while focusing through a contemplative lens. There is a movement between the words and poems, reflective of the general journey of life, as if just stopping for a brief moment to jot down some quick notes to continue to ponder later. Readers will likewise come back to reconsider these verses and ideas. *****
0 Comments
inkblots revealing my story to the therapist by Lori A. Minor (2019 Lulu Press) 6” x 9” Perfect-bound paperback. 60 Pages. Black ink on cream paper. ISBN 978-0-359-34896-1. www.lulu.com. Reviewed by Robin Anna Smith. Reading inkblots revealing my story to the therapist by Lori A. Minor is almost like being a silent witness in the room, as the author unpacks years of experience to her therapist. She opens with two haiku, which alone, could be the beginning and the end of her book. The white paper in between them lets us imagine, from the very start, where she might be taking us. For those who follow Lori’s work, we know to expect ups, downs, twists, and turns ahead. For those who don’t: Keep your hands inside the ride at all times! * signs of depression the first leaf falls to my feet * diagnosis the last leaf still holding on * The first haibun in the collection “Safe Space” sets the tone for our understanding of what triggered a lifetime of trauma and mental illness challenges. Page by page, she adds information and layers to her story, so that it reads similarly to a memoir in verse. There is just enough white space to allow the reader’s mind to wander between pages, and wonder about details purposely omitted. * Safe Space He grounded me for everything. Whispering at the table. Crying. Wetting the bed. It wasn't your typical grounding where you can't play with friends or you get the PlayStation cables taken away. I had to live in my room and the only reason I was allowed out was to shower, but he insisted on monitoring me. Said it was to make sure I wasn't "playing around". Dinner was served in my room. Sometimes only cheese and crackers, and if I was lucky, a few slices of pepperoni. My room became my safe space. It was the only home I knew and even now, sixteen years later, I still find it hard to leave. voyeurism even the moon has eyes * Throughout the book, Lori continues to connect with nature in her expertly-crafted haiku, returning repeatedly, as if to physically ground herself. Perhaps, it is a way to find a deeper connection with the world—to find the world within herself. This proves to be an important relationship, as we see in her haibun “shock waves” how shaken she is when unable to seek solace in her kindred stars. * shock waves It’s three in the morning and the sky is completely clear, but there are no stars in sight. The light pollution just drowns them out. It’s almost like they’re dead… and I’m mourning the loss of each one. power struggle the worm curls into itself * As the book nears its conclusion, Lori’s voice grows stronger and her outlook more hopeful. Her tanka “releasing” celebrates small victories, which are amplified in contrast with the heavy weight of persistent depression, and all that comes with it. She ends the book with her senryu “erasing the stigma” which is apt, given the platforms she has created with Scryptic and #FemkuMag, and now her forthcoming Bleached Butterfly to support the voices of others. * releasing the firefly from my palm one year free from self harm * erasing the stigma I clean the dirt from under my nails * inkblots revealing my story to the therapist is an important and uncompromising collection that readers will connect with, as we all know someone affected by trauma and/or mental illness. Lori has created a remarkable body of work, illustrating the lifelong effects of abuse and, at the same time, given us a glimpse of the hope and spirit that drives her and her stunning creative work. ***
|
ArchivesCategories |
HUMAN/KIND JOURNAL
© COPYRIGHT 2018-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Published in Wilmington, DE, USA. ISSN 2641-628X |
|