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Alchetry

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"
What we are to our inward vision, and what man
appears to be sub specie aeternitatis, can only
be expressed by way of myth. Myth is more
individual and expresses life more precisely
than does Science....
" --C.G.Jung, from the Prologue of "Memories, Dreams, Reflections


Curiosity and a penchant for the mythic made me look into this collection.
Diego's title is no accident or quirk. There are four sections, one for each
of the alchemical prime elements, and the introduction connects the metaphors,
the symbols, the themes, the sounds, and life to them. There is some rather
striking artwork on the cover, on the same entraining theme. Sex is a notable
element, as a transforming agent, but there is more. There is a call to
a richer life, to visions that have been lost:
"
Last night I dreamt we pushed
the earth in unison
and made the galaxy spin backwards
while God danced to a tune by Marvin Gaye...
"
There is an interpretation of objects that is more a dance of a talisman:
"
Before my fur was rock
it was the orange of chaos.
My gold eyes, the fate
of wilder beasts, and my tongue
a sponge for lapping blood.
"
...from a stone lion at the New York Library. This is not the stone lion, or an
actual lion, but an expansive essence of thought, a live restless mythology.
Most items are lush, luminous, and the tip of some iceberg of meanings. It
is as though this world only an abstract of others.

Different traditions are invoked, often Greek, and the words, signs, and
style refer to the origins, whether they are myth, religion, childhood, or
relationships. Sometimes, it is the artist's eye for the intensity of the
ordinary, as in "Young Man on the Bus Bench", eery, sad, and epic.
I have tried to excerpt it, but it's most potent as the whole.

Diego has no fear of saying precisely what he feels, but he does not dwell
on a point once the blow is delivered. This timing and certainty is rare.
There are also times when he can work the short poem, as in "Perfection":
"...
Every jagged edge
that ever cut me
has been quietly rounded
by the nightly churning of my dreams.
..."
Notice how the still or slow picture speaks of the motion and action of
thought, of something beyond the "this", the "here". That seems to cover
a lot of what Quiros does. In "Revisiting Ravens", everything is a symbol
of everything, and the language becomes spare, but shifts scenes with sharp
images. "Solace" is a particularly hypnotic "I am..." piece, with a stunning
invitation at the end. Mythology where the writer walks into the myth.

This is not a quiet book, or a 'mystery', and the poems are not evasive
or coy. But it reaches past here. Reality is only the skin of a bigger, more
intense presence. There is earth, water, air, a nd fire. But I see a lot
more than that. Quiros is a restless creator in a visionary world.

Mix Fire, Air, Earth and Water and you will soar into the graceful beauty of Diego Quiros' poetry. The green-haired, green-eyed Muse whom he tells us lives in his Miami home has spread her magic dust over Quiros' debut book, Alchetry.

His romantic poems make you shiver, even when love is forsaken.

In Déjà vu, he says:

We've redefined our silence
in the frost of sorrow.
I say heartache is beautiful,
you say I kiss like Judas.

and in An Overdue Apology:

It's been 3652 consecutive nights now.
Dear, if you are reading this:
I apologize. You were right.
Please Stop. The dream is killing me.

Diego also makes you hope for a better world in his A Promise of Yellow Roses:

Last night I dreamt we pushed
the earth in unison
and made the galaxy spin backwards
while God danced to a tune by Marvin Gaye
and handed yellow roses.

And, finally, we feel the plight of the transformed King of the Jungle in Statue of a Lion at the New York Library;

Before my fur was rock
it was the orange of chaos.
My gold eyes, the fate
of wilder beasts, and my tongue
a sponge for lapping blood.

Other poems bring more surprises, waiting to be unwrapped. This is a book to read to your lover, your friends, to tuck under your pillow at night to stimulate your dreams. Most of all, this is a book that earns a permanent slot in your bookcase.

Alchetry is A Menendez Publication.

This book proves that the beauty and wisdom of poetry is alive and well in our hearts. The book is divided into four sections reflecting the four basic elements; Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The poems are arranged according to their most common element. I enjoyed reading this book and I encourage everyone to read it too.

Thought provoking poetry with a purpose. Diego spins a web of solace while contemplating human emotion and the world around us.