Poetry

[close] This book of poetry was published by the New Poets Series in 1990 Papyrus: An Eloquent Ode to Life's Many Gritty Moments by Amy L. Wilson Arkansas Gazette Little Rock, Arkansas April 1990 (note: concerning the print edition by the New Poets Series printed in 1990) An American Papyrus Steven Sills The Chestnut Hills Press Poetry Series 63 pages; $6.95 paperback Twenty-six poems make up this first published book by Steven Sills, 26, of Fayetteville. Sills' vision is often a dark one. He writes of the homeless, the abused, the forgotten people. He is also intrigued with the mystical, the sensual, loss--as in losing those whom we hold dear, such as a spouse or lover--as well as the lost, such as someone who is autistic, who seems unreachable. Sills' skillful use of the language to impart the telling moments of a life is his strength. He chooses his words carefully, employing a well-developed vocabulary. He is thoughtful about punctuation, where to break lines and when to make a new stanza. He's obviously well versed in "great" literature. Sills' command of language helps to soften the blows of some of the seemier passages found in his poems. Seamy may not be the best word to use. Perhaps gritty is a better word or just plain matter-of-fact and to the point, as in this descriptive passage from "Oracion A Traves De Gass," about the hopeless feelings of a respiratory therapy worker: "With the last of the air drawing in/ Begins to fold its walls; and he could imagine it/ Like he could imagine from unexact memories/ The woman last night at the hospital, whom he began to like---/ Her body pulling cell by cell/ Apart before he had a chance to finish the rescue with the hose." The book begins with "Post-Annulment2" a poem with a poignant description of society's displaced--"As the sun blazes upon the terminal's/ Scraped concrete/The shelved rows of the poor men"--and continues by describing a city scene through the eyes of a maintenence worker at the Hilton Hotel. The protagonist's wife has left him and he is taking the bus to work that morning, his mind wandering as he looks for the key to why she is gone. "He rings the bell. / The idea of her not home and legally annuled/ From his life--her small crotch not tightened to his desperate thrusts/ Makes him feel sick. He gets down from the bus./ He goes to work. He suddenly knows that he is not in love." As many poets will do, Sills could not leave this work alone. So a hybrid of this poem, "Post-Annulment" ends the book. In it, he has kept many of the original lines and added parenthetical remarks to expand on his ideas. It is in this context he allows himself to comment on religion: "Religion is a lie! Everything is a lie!" and on marriage: "Marriage, that santified legal rape, fosters the child-man to be a destined societal function as he grows up in the family unit." Not all of the poems are so bleak and cynical in every passage, however, as is apparent in "The San Franciscan's Night Meditations": "The night is full of impulses to live and run and seep heavily into its dark robes of silence and morbid rightness." People who do not feel comfortable examining in detail the darker side of life--the the details that the average person overlooks because it just hurts or feels to strange to look--will not enjoy this book. Serious writers of free verse, contemporary poetry and/or those who study it will not be disappointed. Sills, a native of Missouri, is a recent graduate of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. He currently is working in Fayetteville. Sills dedicated his book to Mike Burns, a poet and teacher at SMSU who helped him edit his work.
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[close] HER HOUSE is a culmination of fine observation. Donna Marie Merritt reflects on those details that so often pass by undetected, yet play an enormous part in our lives. Along the way we examine our fragile bargain with nature—and how close we are to chaos when nature reminds us just who is in charge. Long countryside walks, a good glass of wine, family and friends, growing older… all these Merritt celebrates with gratitude, prompting us to truly see what surrounds us, reminding us that memory is precious and sweet.

“Here we have an eye open to the world, that poem by poem brings that world into view for all to see, and to be nurtured by.” -David Kherdian: Poet, Novelist, Memoirist

“Merritt’s new collection begs to be read aloud—these poems are not just treats for the mind and heart, but for the tongue as well. There is an energetic tumbling of rhythm and rhyme, playful observations of nature, moments of deep comfort and passion, and the ongoing loving struggle of capturing feelings with words. HER HOUSE is filled with delicious morsels for the poetic palate.”
-Dave Morrison: Poet
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[close] 35 inspirational (and sometimes funny!) poems all printed on glorious pictures. Yes, about competitions, but also about courage, determination and achievement. About the will to succeed. Let the words inspire you to reach for your dreams.

These poems were inspired by the athletes who train for so long to achieve their dreams, and I hope that they have captured some of the sense of excitement of both summer and winter events.

Phoenix.

They shamed you
Took away your medal
And your pride
They said you’d cheated!
They were wrong!
Out of the ashes of your career
You fought back
Cleared your name
Retained your integrity
And that, for you,
And we who believed in you
All along,
Was as good as a medal
So now you are back
Cleared and strong
To prove yourself
​
Rising in triumph
Just like the phoenix.

All Done

The flame is extinguished
The stadium clears
All medals won
For another four years
Hoarse from our cheering
We make our way home
Leaving with friends,
Or just walking alone
Subdued and exhausted
But warmed by the glow
Of nations uniting
For this world-wide show.

Spectators

Sun, bright in our eyes
Wind chill at minus something
Undeterred
We gather cheerfully
In a motley collection
Of headwear
And ski gear
Frosty breath
Clamour of cowbells
Rosy cheeks and pink noses

​Laughter
And hot coffee
Excitement in the air
Rising
For this is the start
Of
The Winter Sports Season


It would be helpful if the winner would just let me know when the book arrives, so that I know they have received it safely. I will not contact the winner apart from sending the book but I would like to be sure it has been received ok. [close]