SEETHY SHIMMERY QUESTIONING CONFESSIONS
Karen’s Neuberg’s book of poems Pursuit seethes simmers shimmies
professes analyzes questions confesses whispers and each poem
works its power in such a satisfying way. It’s mastery of craft
coupled with knowledge, insight, intensity and yes, a wisdom
that age and intellect have conferred about the human mind
and soul, and how she — and we — think, experience, live.
Such freshness of expression! Just a few examples — there are so many, how to choose? —
In her opening poem Aesthetics part 2, she begins with: “Amber plum over the soul”
and ends with, “let moon return to gong.”
or in Blue Whispers: “lake soul reflecting sky bone.”
Neuberg uses the natural world in such a fresh, invigorating way. In Companion,
she writes: “what pours from the soul/ of the world, those parts/ under stones
on the silver/ side leaf shows to rain, /the rain itself.”
Such freshness of expression! Just a few examples — there are so many, how to choose? —
In her opening poem Aesthetics part 2, she begins with: “Amber plum over the soul”
and ends with, “let moon return to gong.”
or in Blue Whispers: “lake soul reflecting sky bone.”
Neuberg uses the natural world in such a fresh, invigorating way. In Companion,
she writes: “what pours from the soul/ of the world, those parts/ under stones
on the silver/ side leaf shows to rain, /the rain itself.”
In her prose poem Couldn’t Be More she writes: “Even a flower couldn’t be more open.”
Not only is she especially adept at the short poem, she demonstrates equal
proficiency of the multi-part poem, the prose poem and erasure. In what seems to be
the logical conclusion to her erasure poem, Cache: the end note reads:
Erasure of my entire chapbook Myself Taking Stage
Her poetry has power not only in its bowl-you-over individual lines but in its unerring
ability to be satisfying wonderfully crafted wholes that end with a crescendo that affixes
the poem in the mind and soul.
Let there be no doubt that in her poetry, age has conferred wisdom.
Not only is she especially adept at the short poem, she demonstrates equal
proficiency of the multi-part poem, the prose poem and erasure. In what seems to be
the logical conclusion to her erasure poem, Cache: the end note reads:
Erasure of my entire chapbook Myself Taking Stage
Her poetry has power not only in its bowl-you-over individual lines but in its unerring
ability to be satisfying wonderfully crafted wholes that end with a crescendo that affixes
the poem in the mind and soul.
Let there be no doubt that in her poetry, age has conferred wisdom.
The concluding stanza of Bridges reads:
“Y of center span-latest years./How can we say our particular accumulation?
What can we say without it crumbling?”
Or in How This Hour’s Raw Beauty Came to Enter Without Leave — what a great title!—
she writes: “Had I known before hand,/I still could not/have foreseen
what emptying/leaves room for.”
Need I say I highly recommend this?
--Ellen Pober Rittberg
see: https://www.facebook.com/notes/poetrybay/a-january-poetry-chapbook-round-up/2816521578398772/
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