Reviews

The pamphlet is divided into three parts: Traces, Mixtermaxter, and Marmalade, though in thematic and stylistic terms there is much common ground between all three. The most affecting poem in the opening sequence is El impacto del olvido (the impact of forgetting). In the second section of the poem, El impacto, the poet is in the Casa de Sefarad, a museum which curates Sephardic Judeo-Spanish history. He is moved when he hears a guide singing in Ladino, a Spanish-Hebrew hybrid, and while acknowledging that he was not with the partisans in the forests/of Lithuania, the Vilna refugees and does not have their memories or feel their pain, he shares nonetheless the yearning for worlds which existed before the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and the horrors of 1943, states the cadences of the Ladino song evoke. As one might imagine, the Holocaust and the many pogroms to which the Jew have been subjected haunt these poems. In Lacquer wood fiddler, a small carved figure comes to symbolise the lost world and culture of the shtetl before the Cossacks ride out/in the morning leaving the roof of the barn burning. Bleiman realises that language is not static, that it flows and becomes richer not poorer when influenced by other tributaries. It is also capable of being polluted by history. Though his grandfather, Adolf, serves in the Muizenberg Home Guard, the poet realises No grandson now can bear your name of shame (from Reclaim the name). For Bleiman, language is gluey,/adhering to the barks of trees, as if unwilling to give up its linguistic provenance, thus allowing us to hear in the word Manhattan an echo of the more assonantal Manahahtaan, and in Chicago the etymological echoes of Checagou and Shikaakwa (from Place markers). This pamphlet is Bleiman’s first published venture into poetry, a fact which may surprise many given the assuredness of the writing, how deftly he deals with the complex issues of language and identity, the restraint exercised even when the many tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people are the subject of his poetry. The poet’ s voice is consistent throughout, including in the more lyrical poems of the pamphlet’s third section. Most of these poems are written in free verse, but are far removed from the chopped-up prose of some vers libre. The rhythms of Bleiman’s poetry, its soundscape, one rich in assonance and consonance, its understated but affecting imagery, leave the reader in no doubt as to the skill of the poet behind such lines as these, taken from Bitter fruit ripening, one of the many highlights in an impressive collection. Yet time lends harmony to the inclusion, another jewel in a well-worn frame. In time all faiths – and none – may pray where stones converge in bittersweet embrace. TH

Corona Virus Lockdown / Brian Mackenzie / Amazon / 45 pp / ISBN 979-8650797852 /$5.49

Cesar A. Cruz famously said that art’s duty was “to comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable.” This quote takes on an intriguing relevance when we consider the ways in which the world changed over the previous year. In an almost democratic sense, almost nobody was left undisturbed, but with the masses being urged to stay in their homes, a sense of uneasy and inverted comfort was also felt worldwide. Such unique circumstances could only breed unique art, which could simultaneously disturb the disturbingly comfortable, and comfort the comfortably disturbed. Corona Virus Lockdown, by Spain-based writer Brian Mackenzie, is an example of such a unique piece of art. In it, Mackenzie conveys the thoughts, fears, and feelings that he has felt over the previous year, through poems and songs that are humorous, moving, honest, and most importantly, true. A lyrical quality is present throughout the poems in this collection. Mackenzie himself describes the content of this collection as a mixture of songs and poems, and it is often difficult to allocate one of these specific titles to any given poem. Furthermore, Mackenzie is able to keep a consistent sense of voice running throughout these poems, while also maintaining this lyrical quality. In short, by making use of everyday language, and scenes that we are now very familiar with, Mackenzie is able to outline his perspective on what it has meant to live in the world in the last year, with each poem dripping in emotion. For example, in a poem such as Gauntlet, Mackenzie is not only able to frame the simple task of going to the supermarket as the dangerous act that it has now become, but he also succeeds in offering the reader a glimpse into what this task means for a more senior member of society. In other poems, the poet manages to accurately describe the events that were entirely new to us as well, as is the case in Corona Virus Quiz Night. Again, the language here is simple, but it is used to convey a universal truth that was experienced by many availing of new technology to keep in touch. With lines such as “so with this link / distance we shrink / so raise up your glass / to share a drink” Mackenzie is able to succinctly convey the persistence of our social nature, and our need for company. Conversely, in poems such as A Full Set, Mackenzie employs what appears to be pitch black gallows humour. The poem outlines various ailments which the speaker suffers from and suggests that the coronavirus is all he needs to have a completed set. Through pieces such as these, Mackenzie succeeds in utilising a voice that is both easily accessible and understood, but also singular in the way it describes the situations we have all found yourself in in this previous year. For this reason, one could confidently recommend this collection to any poetry fan who feels they have suffered alone throughout the crisis. DM