This is the latest addition to my special bookshelf–the one out of my many bookshelves that holds the books that will always move with me, even in a future situation when I might have to downsize to, say, living out of my car.
Sonofabitch Poems by RL Raymond, PidgeonBike Press, 2011. Four-colour offset, signed by the author.
Great title, eh? Makes you want to read it, doesn’t it? Well, you should. It’s a beautifully written volume of poems with surprising imagery, cadences and stealthy rhyme, but it also reads like a novel–with narrative, suspense, emotion, atmosphere, myth, plots and subplots, mysteries and revelations, and a great deal of heart. It’s populated by characters who may or may not be Sonofabitches–you’ll have to read it to find out what I mean. “Dedicated to all the non-poets”, it will convert readers who never read poetry. For those who do read poetry, you will say “wow!”; and maybe put this on your own special bookshelf. It’s terrific.
It’s a book I will re-read often. It’s a book that reminds me why I love language. And poetry. And stories. It’s a book that makes me marvel at what books can be, and do.
This blog is loosely about found objects that I love. I didn’t so much find this book though as be found by it. It appeared in my life because its author, a long-lost friend, found me on line. In minutes we’d closed the gap of nearly twenty years, and we continue to talk about language and stories and poetry and books and life.
But despite all the talk, I’m at a loss for words when I try to describe how great it is to hold this book, a product of all the years between when we last talked about poetry, and his desire to be a writer, and the seeds of his writing career germanating in his nascent talent all those years ago.
RLR knows that I’m happy for his accomplishments, and especially that he’s shared them with me., I hope he also knows how glad I am to have been found. See, books are wonderful things.
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Ann Mayer 