Subtle, puzzling, an unusual style and an unusual work.
Three Stars
It is not clear that I am competent to review this work. It really is unusual, and if you are looking for this kind of poetry, your rating will likely be higher than mine. More on the stars, counting, and my rating challenges later. Let me describe this book for you.
Scafidi has provided us with some fifty-four poems. They are intellectual, puzzles. You will have to think, and perhaps invent, to appreciate this author. There is social commentary, as in Constant Temptation where we find this: “Even with the gift of memory, /We can’t always stave off temptation, /We love what hurts us.” If you’re looking for a bizarre experience, turn to Devil or Divine.
Pending disaster of an unnamed metaphorical sort is a recurring theme here, as in It’s Almost Here and I See the Tide Rolling In.
A favourite here is Protection. No spoilers, you’ll have to buy the book and turn to this one for yourself.
A mysterious relationship is explored in I Can Wait. A strange start-up occurs in Hello Ma’am.
Another riddle is They Say I’m Missing Out, which is about personal choice, with a fine metaphor at the end.
There is the odd surprise metaphor, as in Waiting on You, where we find this: “But the stone on your shoulder, /Makes any transition harder. //Let’s say you’d deal with the few pebbles, /Currently in your load,”
If you’re looking for introspection in relationships, turn to So Many, and then to Why Are You Still Here?
If you’re scrolling for the tiny carps, forget it. There might be the odd excessive comma. Not even a typo.
Given all the above comments, how does this curmudgeon come up with three stars? I try hard to be consistent across many reviews. My personal guidelines, when doing any review, are as follows: five stars means, roughly equal to best in genre. Rarely given. Four stars means, extremely good. Three stars means, definitely recommendable. I am a tough reviewer. This is easily worth three stars, and your personal taste may rate it higher.
(Note: this reviewer received a free copy of this book for an independent review. He is not associated with the author.)