The prolific and relevant poet J.R. Solonche has given me the gift of writing “how I read poems.” The sense of playfulness is evident in all his writing and continues to delight me. From a poem about his father’s last prosaic words to transmogrifying Emily Dickinson into relevance for me. He is a gifted writer, one who is always interesting. That is a difficult thing for a poet to sustain, as evidenced by the many bad poems one attempts to read in favorite periodicals.
In this volume, the poet shows his versatility in many forms and themes, which makes the reading always interesting for this reader. In his poem “Teaching,” Solonche manages to encapsulate the difficulties and nuances of the profession. This volume also offers the poet’s take on the meaning of words, culminating in a personal take on the words and their meanings. For those of us searching for a fun time in poetry, this volume is the answer and is guaranteed to be relished.
