My City in Portrait & Song

The American City is the subject of the first section of this unusual collection - an intense, meaningful combination of industry and emotion the commuters and the high-rise apartment dwellers have never seen. The poet goes to the heart of a great city, to the "little" people whose energy keeps it moving and alive. With tremendous force, with humor, with clarity and perception, he reveals the . . . Giant Man lined with copper nerves, Old Man river surges through his veins. His organs are volcanic pots cascading molten stew, Presses pounding utility, Registers ringing revenue. The poet turns with ease to a variety of moods and themes, from pure fantasy to melancholy reflection on the past to delightful humor. This is something in this collection for everyone, and not merely because of variety. Each poem has an emotional impact which cuts through superficiality and rationalization, leaving the reader with the universally understood essence of experience.