These short pieces frequently combine the discipline and precision of haiku with the assured and humorous tone of cracker-barrel philosophy. Ammons, who has been known to have plenty to say, cuts to the heart of the matter in poem after poem, suggesting worlds of unspoken wisdom and humor. "Success Story" is a good example of the project, as Ammons explains why he never "got on good" with the rest of the world: "First I had nothing / the world wanted / then the world had / nothing I wanted."


From Library Journal
The best short poems return much more than they demand, and these insightful brevities culled from 40 years of Ammons's work require a steamship to haul their pleasures home to the reader. Rarely venturing beyond a terse tenth line, they encompass wit ("It's hard/ to live/ living it/ up/ down"), paradox ("I have nowhere/ to go and/ nowhere to go/ when I get/ back from there"), koan -like mystery ("What lightning/ strikes/ in an/ instant/the boulder hums/ all year"), and an unusual understanding of nature's processes and politics ("The reeds give/ way to the/wind and give/ the wind away"). Perfect for those who claim no time for poetry, this can be savored in bits or in batches. Hope and expect to spot it frequently at subway stops and luncheonettes.- Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal