In his new collection of poetry, blue the green sky (The Broken Spine), Stuart Buck establishes himself as a master of magic and understatement while taking the reader on a journey of self-discovery. This microchap contains 16 poems, 12 of which are fairly short, often surreal, precise observations on the human condition. These are juxtaposed with three long (also often surreal) prose poems which might also be flash fiction or flash CNF – but the lack of easy definition is the point. The collection ends with a 3-part narrative poem which is notable in the collection due to its very solid grounding in realism. The blending of these forms is impressive due to Buck’s well-honed craft across all three.
The book begins with the poem cat.
on my way to kill myself i met
a very friendly cat, so I turned around
we are all decomposing slowly
so that is of some comfort
we are all a million dying stars
so that is some comfort
Buck clearly understands the power of the short form and this poem serves as a brilliant introduction to the dry-witted, philosophical voice that stays constant throughout the collection.
In the middle of the book is one of the longer prose poems, tom waits and infinite softness, and here we find ourselves transported:
and it’s ok it’s ok when you leave your body and see it lying on the floor because you are tiny now and floating, floating ever higher and things are changing, the colours are changing from peach and deep blue to a womb like red and you are something indescribably now, something insignificant a speck streaming along this endless soft tunnel that isn’t time and isn’t space
The transformation that takes place in this poem might be viewed as just metaphorical or metaphysical. However, it seems to be an autobiographical experience disguised as magical realism. The effect is stunning.
And finally, in the last piece of the collection, map, the speaker shares a childhood memory written in a language that is both direct and vulnerable, and unabashed in its longing for a lost love.
tell him that everything will be fine and not
to worry about who he is because he is a
walk in the fresh snow and a deep blue sky
and a night spent inside listening to rain
I found this book compelling because the speaker seems entirely comfortable in his voice, pivots from the tactile to the ethereal seamlessly, and ultimately lands on “love” as the answer to many of the mysteries presented throughout the collection – a choice I found refreshing in an increasingly cynical world. I highly recommend that you add blue the green sky to your reading list.
Reviewed by Beth Gordon
blue the green sky is available for purchase from The Broken Spine.