Misplaced Vegetables By Rich Ives
Rich Ives’ offer a tapestry of poems in these fable like verses of yesteryear into the present. He’s not afraid to take his poems off into dungeons, shadows, fairy tales and the like. Reading poetry with twists and turns can be quite satisfying. Poems don’t have to all be written in contrite rhyming verse.
Amazon USA“Misplaced Vegetables”
By Rich Ives
98 pages
ISBN: 978-93-88319-87-4
Cyberwit
www.cyberwit.net
Copyright 2021
Review by LB Sedlacek
Rich Ives’ offer a tapestry of poems in these fable like verses of yesteryear into the present. He’s not afraid to take his poems off into dungeons, shadows, fairy tales and the like. Reading poetry with twists and turns can be quite satisfying. Poems don’t have to all be written in contrite rhyming verse.
His titles are a thing of beauty as well. When I teach poetry classes or write articles about writing it I’m always quick to point out that if you’re using a title in your poem then remember it is part of the poem. Ives certainly knows this. I believe my favorite title of his poems in this collection is this one:
“The Mayor’s New Policy on the Distribution of Urban Garden Produce.” You just know that you are in for an interesting read.
From the title, let’s look at his opening lines – they have that hook! It’s like the first line of a book – if it’s good you’re going to keep on reading. This opening line is from the poem “The Telegram Got Larger”: “every room in the sentence was a new color.” One can imagine from that sentence alone what may or may not be happening next in the poem.
Ives seems exceptionally good at putting together his poems. Several of them were published in various publications as well. These poems are smart and imaginative. Plus they are populated by complex and interesting verses.
The poems are a feisty bit of storytelling. Ives presents a good narrative. With every poem there seems to be more inside of it than on the outside.
These poems are also entertaining. Ives writes with compassion and an absolute willingness to take his work out into new directions.
From the poem “If I Have One More Thing to Say”:
“The shark-people have pearls in their eyes. I sleep
on a little island they surround, which delights me.
If the moon came down, it would be just as small
and see just as much, but it likes everyone looking.”
Ives has an unerring eye for a world beyond our own. The poem takes you into another world, another place.
From the poem “Definitions Occurring During Efforts to Determine the Role of the Primary Domicile in Contested Divorce Proceedings”:
“you’re already here now arrive
I’ve got a plate in my head for you
dinner’s late but I’m thinking about
utensils and bargaining with yesterday”
He turns lines inside and out. That takes guts as a poet. Plus, it’s good fun to read.
Genuine desire, human outrage, funny nature, life in times long ago, so many things– imagine what must go on in the poet’s head when he’s writing. Then read this book – it’s for the meek and the mighty!
~LB Sedlacek is the author of the poetry collections “I’m No ROBOT,” “Words and Bones,” “Simultaneous Submissions,” “The Adventures of Stick People on Cars,” and “The Poet Next Door.” Her first short story collection came out last year entitled “Four Thieves of Vinegar & Other Short Stories.” Her mystery novel “The Glass River” was nominated for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. She writes poetry reviews for “The Poetry Market Ezine” www.thepoetrymarket.com You can find out more about her at www.lbsedlacek.com