Poetry Book Review

This wonderful little book left me in awe!

It was published in 2004 by Helen Frost, a talented poet whose poems are "deceptively casual" according to an online review of her work. So true!!

This book contains poems written in the voices of fictional students in a 5th grade class with a fictional teacher. The people are composites of characters Frost encountered through years as a teacher. The scenarios and trials of the students resonate with my own teacher heart. A quick first read of this "novel in poems from Room 214" was enjoyable, and left me content with the story and voices of the children.  

At the end I was completely satisfied, but then I read the "Notes on Forms" at the back. I could have easily skipped it, but reading it changed my whole impression of this small book.

In my eyes it became a huge accomplishment when I understood that Frost used 22 different poem forms. Twenty-two!! At first glance the poems appear simple, but the Notes explain each form, and leave the reader intrigued to try them. 

Shortly before reading this book I tried creating a villanelle, ghazal, and sonnet with a poetry group. It felt like a major victory to finish them, so I can appreciate the challenge of following strict formats. 

The one that blew my mind was her Crown of Sonnets titled, "It's Hard to Fit In." According to her Notes, a crown is a "set of seven Italian sonnets, linked through repeated lines. The last line of one sonnet is the first line of the next (sometimes with minor variations), and the last line of the last sonnet circles back to the first line of the first sonnet." I had a hard time writing one sonnet poorly, and Frost created seven that fit perfectly together! Mind-blowing! Such a gift!

There's one other reason I'm glad to have read the notes... it pointed out that many of the poems were acrostics, which I had failed to notice. I thumbed through the book again to find them and read with delight all the hidden messages. Such fun!

I highly encourage poetry lovers to check out her website helenfrost.net and this detailed interview and Blog review by Michelle Barnes.  Enjoy!

 

"A Year After the Flood" in Oct. YCN

For our anniversary over Labor Day we returned to one of our favorite spots, the River Inn in Brownville, NE. We had wanted to come in 2019 but the summer flooding prevented it. This time, after so many months at home due to Covid, we especially enjoyed the chance to get away from the city and spend time on the river.

The Inn has a rustic feel yet provides amenities that non-campers like us require: a good bed, nice bathroom, and a hearty breakfast. We took the dinner cruise on the Spirit of Brownville, which gave us a glimpse of the changes brought by the flooding. We talked with other passengers and crew, and heard about the struggles the people of Brownville have faced. 

The next morning as the sun rose over the east bank, I sat on the deck watching the birds. I thought about the dredge upstream that was almost washed away, and the effort it took to save. This poem is a result of those quiet moments alone.

"A Year After the Flood"

By Janet Sobczyk, 2020

Fresh foliage creeps over eroded banks

 wild sunflowers bloom as if nothing happened

 but the trees bear scars

 tangled drifted debris whispers the tale.

 The Captain Meriwether Lewis Dredge Museum

 floats secure in its dry-docked moat

 imagine the struggle by tugs, chains, men

 working 16-hour days to contain it in high water.

 It rose, bucking to break free of moorings

 they held on with all their might

 restrained it from a rampage

 prevented catastrophe downstream.

 It rests silent and sullen in its defeat, bested this time

 a little worse for wear, but not broken

 peers from its perch above the now-lazy river

 calls me back to watch the sunrise with it again.

 As swallows dart and eagles soar

 mist rises from the ever-flowing surface

 sun’s rays shoo wisps away

 ushers in a clear day

 washes the dredge in light

 its twin smokestacks stand tall

 white decks await tourists

 kept away by Covid and a damaged road.

 The town waits, too

 it survives as Midwest people tend to do

 shops closed for now

 but restaurant still serves, so does the bar.

 There’s hope as a new store opens

 a sign of growth in a small town

 that understands the damage a river can do

 while it sustains life, too. 

This poem is dedicated to the people of Brownville, 

with gratitude for your hospitality and admiration for your fortitude.

"Stereotype" poem published in Oct. YCN

 Shattering the Stereotype 

Janet Sobczyk, 2020 

The black Harley stands shiny 
next to a grey, dusty Camry
 their drivers and wives vastly different
 on roads that converged
 in this parking lot
 at this Inn
 to open the mind of one of them.

The tanned couple
 in black boots and slim jeans, Harley logo shirts
 tells tales that amaze
 of rallies in towns across many states
 of 30+ years riding close, her front to his back
 avoiding the interstate
 seeing sights that few knew.

The other couple
 in sneakers and extra-large jeans
 not well-traveled, raised five kids
 has little to contribute to this conversation
 of scenes and sights
 and adventure
but curious, keeps asking questions.

 The men have nothing in common
 but the women connect
 share a love of books, including the bible
 both enjoy quiet time with nature
 the biker wife resembles the other’s sister
 who thinks this could have been Sis’s life,
 she would have loved the open road.

 Their differences fade as dusk settles into dark
 they tell of tomorrow’s plans, retreat to their rooms
 meet for breakfast, then
 one couple vrooms away
 to see covered bridges in Madison County
 the other drives to KC
 to see their grandbaby.

Janet with grand-baby Ruth