Mind of a Sailor & Other Poems

Mind of a Sailor & Other Poems

The nine poems in this chapbook are either a few lines or a few pages long. The shorter ones read a bit like haiku, the longer ones demonstrate an accomplished sense of poetic lyricism. The poet is obviously well read and comfortable with the form. The title poem is the longest and most ambitious. It focuses on the poet’s desire to “write” the sailor’s life, to “anchor” his romantic desires: “with postal codes littered from arctic coast / to port mouthed angel / waiting by the river / eyeing the coast for sails / before swimming to the post office for stamps.” “I’m Very Exciting Right Now” appears to be an email from a visiting Japanese student, complete with serendipitous grammatical mistakes. Even though I was a bit put off by the lame cover design the too few poems inside gave me the impression that only the right words were chosen for each line. (AB)

chapbook, $1 or trade, Tavis E Triance, Misquote Ink, 2-495 Rue Milton, Montréal, QC, H2X 1W3

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