Customer Reviews

City of Corners

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Very nice to see John Godfrey return to the philosophically accomplished sarcasms and "hatuer" of his 80's writing (MIDNIGHT ON YOUR LEFT and WHERE THE WEATHER SUITS MY CLOTHES). This new offering from Wave Books is clean and spare - the compressed, high power-to-weight ratio of this writing is compellingly exact, with its matter-of-fact details of life in Greenwich Village, where Godfrey has lurked and loomed for over 40 years.

These mostly punctuation-free poems exude haiku-like epiphanies - details of the quotidian mix it up with perceptive philosophical detachments. Godfrey's empathy for the dying and dead (he's worked with the terminally ill as an R.N. for many years) meshes with keen observations of such mundane details as crumbling sidewalks and misty streetlights. You get the distinct sense that John Godfrey has covered a lot of paved territory in his walking shoes.

"So my defense is love
for a city of corners
you disappear around
and inside I die"

And:

"I pretend my swagger
through debris
is the holy dance
of the many my days"

These strong and spare poems continue in the minimalistic style and focus of PUSH THE MULE and PRIVATE LEMONADE, Godfrey's last two books. Yet, the metaphoric horsepower just wasn't there in those previous lines. With CITY OF CORNERS, the poetic juice is flowing once again. As previously indicated, the man has returned to the accomplished cynicisms of 20 plus years ago; this brings out the kudos factor with this reader.

The best poems are "Waiting There", "City of Corners", and "Four Feet". This is truly evolved writing that satisfies the thirsty psyche - most highly recommended.

Parataxis

The Cloud Reckoner

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts