In today's modern arena, there are few poets that I have discovered, that can do what Glen Armstrong does with such ease and consistency. That is, to observe what is normal, even mundane, and present it as an unexplored world. Glen has a poet's talent that enables him to experience and translate his visions into colorful, surreal actual occurrences.
This book plays with words. They become shiny stones. Armstrong writes in a comfortable and relaxed style. Nothing to prove. No ranting, no complaining, no diary entries here. It's not about him, but it is all him. We can tell that Glen is fascinated by what he sees, and not uptight about what he does.
What he does a lot of is connect images that are not normally connected. Things that exist with things that do not exist. The poems in this book are numbered, not titled. That is how it must be. It would not suit the work to give it a preconceived point. Example:
XX
the poets and folksingers
who weave their parallel universe
have never heard of you
no naked foot
hastens upon its wings
no face brightens
as your name is rescued from
muddled thoughts
yet you breathe
in and out
warm nothings
owing legend everything
free to slip through windows/bricks
pines/sleepy witnesses
saying nothing
maybe
they dream
staying nimble
saving your kisses for now
These poems are free of constraint, they are short, they are brilliant, they are unique. Their language is captivating and alien. The book is filled with lines like this:
"but that largely imagined membrane/separating the night
from my own unseen depths/is thin"
"information the shadowy trees might have/can be coaxed with a feather"
"expose any aperture/and that other world/starts whispering"
"explosives and bugs/big enough for their own middle/initials"
The front cover of Midsummer is a photo of two empty lounge chairs facing the sea on the sand under a palm tree. It tells me that Glen is on vacation here, he's got this thing. After reading Glen Armstrong, I am drawn to the classics. Yeats, Wilde, Keats, those are the poets who are equipped to follow. I've been considering this review for a few months, not sure of an approach. Most likely I have left some important facts out. All I really want to do here is call on those who read poetry and understand poets, to call on Glen Armstrong.
Glen Armstrong holds an MFA in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and teaches writing at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan. He edits a poetry journal called Cruel Garters. His work has appeared in Poetry Northwest, Conduit, Cream City Review, and many others.
Reviewed by Joe Kidd (www.joekiddandsheilaburke.com)
for GAS: Poetry, Art, & Music
