David
McLean Reviews Ten Poems/Ampersands
Ten Poems about East Asia and Kitsch Nebula Ampersands
and
by Ralph-Michael Chiaia
Coatalism Press 2008
Though Chiaia is an experimental writer, some of
the work here seems timeless, the poems about East Asia, like
Lian Penang, ending with the separate observation “An old
Malay, he fishes” and Kula Lumpur with the presence of religion
in the two short verses both ending “The Imam sings.”
They are full of observation that lets you feel the essence of
the place, and a regret too, for the violence and the decay of
the ancient, the escape of traditional values “How could
Malaysia let it get away?” I can read poems about the UK,
where i lived the first 27 years of my life and think, “Where
is this place? Who are these people?.” But in Chiaia's East
Asia poems one believes one knows. The language is elegant and
English but smells like Asia.
The second half, “Kitsch Nebula Ampersands
and” is much weirder and heavier, it includes several conversations
between a person and a mushroom about access to said person's
Central Nervous System, and this is appropriate, these are hallucinatory
poems but full of acerbic wit, broad humor, and a certain exile's
nostalgia for the homeland that may or may not exist. There's
a rude Ode to Americans, an exquisite Ode to Ampersands, and,
my favorite in this second part, a brilliant two part Daiku (death
haiku) that ends
butterfly slain here
beside raped caterpillar
commiserating
This is a book you need, it's great poetry, it's
very worth reading.
