Short Journey Upriver Toward Oishida

by Roo Borson

In Roo Borson’s new watershed collection, it is as though language were being taught to increase its powers of concentration, to hearken simultaneously to the fully impinged-upon senses, the reflecting mind with its griefs and yearnings, the heart with its burden of live memory. Always “the line bends as the river bends,” a quick ever-adjusting music that carries in its current those cherished, perishable, details of eye and ear, mid-life reflections on loss and home, the subtle shifts in season suddenly made strange and re-awakened. Recurrently, probingly, the line returns to the place of poetry in our lives. In the spirit of Basho’s famous journey to the far north, Borson’s “short journey” reminds us of the role of poetry in shaping and deepening our engagement with the world.

Genres: Poetry, Canada

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Ruth Elizabeth Borson, who writes under the name Roo Borson (born 20 January 1952 in Berkeley, California) is a Canadian poet who lives in Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia.

She has received many awards for her work, including the Governor General's Literary Award, 2004, and the Griffin Poetry Prize, 2005 for Short Journey Upriver Toward Oishida. She lives in Toronto with poet Kim Maltman, and with Maltman and Andy Patton is a member of the collaborative performance poetry ensemble Pain Not Bread.

Reviews

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I still struggle with how some of the poems in this collection, like "Upriver Toward Oishida", can be considered poetry and not prose, this is easy to disregard and forget about when considering the collection in its entirety. There is a serenity and calm reflection to the work that makes the experience of reading it feel very meditative, and the poems which tell of the speaker's childhood, namely in the poem "Persimmons", read like a conversation one would have on a nice spring day. These poems differ from many other well-known and loved poets, I think, because they don't strive to throw out clever thoughts or startling lines out at the reader. There is quite a bit of repetition in the collection - cherries, rivers, reeds, etc. - which is done in a very skilled and almost soft manner, giving the poems that irresistible quality that can only be compared to a feeling of comfort and familiarity one sometimes experiences upon meeting someone for the first time.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The truth is, this poetry felt too smart for me, but I enjoyed it regardless. The language was beautiful.

One line that really stuck out to me (it was part of a bigger phrase) is 'the god of poetry is poetry'. I don't know why that struck me, but it did.

[Meg]

<3 more poetry

[Clo-Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best pieces of poetry I have read this year. It is a must read and a perfect summer/spring book. I loved it. 🍊(there are no persimmon emojis 🙁😔)

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immersed in natural imagery, Borson's poems are delicate and sensitive in the sense that they are very attuned, but not fragile. At the same time, the collection as a whole is emotionally sound and never obscure.

[Linda Fast · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seasonal poetry. I paid 50 cents for this book in a thriftstore because I thought the cover was a very unique piece of artwork. I was not that impressed with the poetry. I will be donating this book back to the thriftstore.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right from the first page I knew I'd love this book. She captured me we her graceful technique, the elegance of her line, the poignance of her imagery.

Amid observations of nature and conversations with the poetry of Bashō, she writes stirringly about nostalgia, regret, loneliness, and family.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but nothing really to write home about.