Consent

Poetry. "These poems occur between a wondering mind and the world, in the 'photic sneeze reflex' of spring blossoms, the flash of a cell-phone camera, the invisible edge of a concrete saw, and the sudden turbulence of a summer afternoon. These are moments of lyric intensity, sharply observed and finely wrought, delicate structures of wonder and art. Of course, wonder does not preclude irony. Our joys get caught in circuits of self-consciousness. Our freedoms prove fleeting and...
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Poetry. "These poems occur between a wondering mind and the world, in the 'photic sneeze reflex' of spring blossoms, the flash of a cell-phone camera, the invisible edge of a concrete saw, and the sudden turbulence of a summer afternoon. These are moments of lyric intensity, sharply observed and finely wrought, delicate structures of wonder and art. Of course, wonder does not preclude irony. Our joys get caught in circuits of self-consciousness. Our freedoms prove fleeting and sometimes desperate, as when a jet-ski driver cuts his engine to coast through 'self-made / rain.' This is modern life, 'everything aiming // at everything / and just missing...' One poem asks, 'is this praise, then?' Praise and lament, both—twin strands of the mind's consent. Such are the roots of this compassionate poetry."—Devin Johnston