Ornithomancy

 

On overcast October nights

in an orchestra of oak trees,

one owl omits the obscure obstructions

and obsolete obligations of oneirodynia.

Ornithological oracles

obtain omens,

occasionally observations

of organisms,

particularly one obfuscating owl,

an ouzel  Odyssey.

Catherine and Frederick

 

A Grimm’s Tale

            indeed

permeated in

                        grains of truth.

Not a Cinderella story

            of severed toes

filed heels

                        or lichen to peck from agate ashes.

No reels of cheese

            chasing after one another

down hills of hop flowers

                        and barred thicket bushes.

Only an over flowing

            tap

of hefeweizen Krankenwagen

                        beer.

Catherine

            Frederick,

we’ll Burn Em’

                        to the fucking ground.

In literary journal Shampoo Issue 40, the cover art is fantastic. There are distinct contrasts between the purple, black, and orange that shapes the face of this mysterious girl. It holds a certain ambiguity that makes me want to open the pages of this collection. Jim Behrle’s “I Move the Clocks Ahead Every Weekend” started this collection out humorously. The poem has a touch of vulgar humor that appeals to many of our senses through the images presented. However, Behrle’s second poem “Thank You for Your Concern” was anything but appealing. I did not enjoy this poem, because the “political” statements are one dimensional. Emily Hunt’s poem “Symbols” states the word “light” one too many times by the third stanza. I honestly want to send her a Thesaurus. The work as a whole seems quite juvenile. The cover of this collection deceived me, as a reader. Guess that is how the saying goes, right?

                The cover Octopus Magazine 15 leaves much to be desired. However, unlike the Shampoo Issue 40 this literary journal seems to be quite professional. I enjoyed the layout of the journal, the white space used by the poets, and the color scheme of the texts. Alice Bolin’s “Yearbook” appeals to me on many different levels. The stanza: “Those whores. Our oboe reeds litter the alley. Leak saliva on the yearbook and don't ask questions. / The painter's nest spit-burned and choked in apple, the big suckling pig.” This is my favorite out of the poem. There is an array of images of the “big suckling pig” and “saliva on the yearbook.” It creates an atmosphere anyone can picture in their head, however; it still leaves the reader with a sour taste in their mouths. The ambiguity of what might be happening in the poem, and the mysterious feeling of the certainty of not wanting to know creates an intriguing atmosphere. This is in contradiction with Kevin Simmonds’ “Summer of 1982.” There are vivid images here as well, but lacks a sense of ambiguity. The reader clearly knows what is taking place in the poem. I would have originally guessed it would take away from the poem, but the aesthetic beauty of arrangement of words draws the reader back into the poem.

First draft of my new poem: "A barren well"

A barren well

 

In the Middle Ages,

                I once sat by a fire

quite alone

                                for who could help

but produce bad dreams?

 

The grandmother of the devil

took pity on upon me

as I crept into the folds

of her pelted dress.

 

For my tree no longer

produced apples

or crisp lavender leaves,

so I plucked three

golden hairs

from the head of a demon

and squashed the toad

sitting under a stone

hidden in a barren well.

Questions: Nancy Botkin’s Parts That Were Once Whole

1.       God seems to be a predominate theme in your poems. The element is mentioned six times throughout this collection of poetry. Is there significance to this word?

2.       The word “memory” and “remember” are mentioned seven different times in the work. Are your memories a major source and inspiration to your poetry?

3.       What roll do the dolls on the front cover play? Are they a representation of your childhood?

Does this tie in with the repeated use of the word memory or remember?