A Matter of Timing

The poems in “A Matter of Timing” are occupied by ordinary people, as well as figures from history, fable, and mythology, diverse characters such as Icarus, Medusa, Mother Teresa, and Joan of Arc, some unexpectedly appearing in the 21st century, all of them struggling with the human conditions of life, death, love, compassion, and suffering. Entering worlds both familiar and unfamiliar, the subjects of the poem are presented with rich language and startling imagery. Other poems deal with family and friends, loss and regret, the passage of time and the upending of our expectations and understanding of time. The past and present follow the reader into the future, allowing a glimpse of life rich in symbols and full of wonder. The poems give us a world keenly observed in nature and in human interactions, always conscious of the passage of time and how our view of the world shapes our understanding of humanity. As the title suggests, A Matter of Timing is also an exploration of the meaning of time, and the moments that slip away. Language and words take on an extra meaning, both a burden and a liberation, and time is seen as fluid, circling back on itself. History returns with a vengeance, characters sometimes trapped into reliving the same events from the past, stuck in the future while retaining a full recollection of their previous lives.
The poems give us a wide range of themes, lamenting the history of America’s genocide of Native Americans, destruction of the environment, and cruelty to others, presenting both the lack of faith and a reminder of the gift of life and love and desire. Memory, childhood, adolescence, and old age lead naturally to death, impermanence the inevitable rule and a powerful touchstone, reflecting life’s fragility, yet hope and optimism remain.