Poetry Review
By Janet Brennan
RAVEN WIRE
By Matt Pasca
In this extremely personal collection of poetry by author, Matt Pasca, Raven
Wire takes us from
memory, dreaming time in space, to present. This book, which is aptly titled, is
a modern glimpse into
the writer’s heart and soul. Before we get to see just who this poet is, we must
understand who he was,
and poet Pasca has no reservations about letting us know about his formative
years. One quickly
understands that although not bad, these years were typical; however Pasca
quickly realized that he did
not fit into a “typical four sided box.” This poet jumps the frame as he
describes what he observes in the
daily buzz and life styles of modern families. In Icon- O –Plastic he writes:
“He came from a bouncy house on a street lined with bouncy
trees in a town that bounces from the map-tulips from
a magician’s pocket. Mom pulled a bouncy childhood
from her bunny hat, dad a bouncy scholarship from
an ace-stacked deck. He was desperate, you see.”
Poet Pasca writes this book with a keen sense of mastery of the poetic form. It
is candid and straight to
the edge, taking the craft to a level that I seldom see in writing. One’s reader
always seems to know if
something is not being said. . Matt Pasca, in his own understanding of his life
and destiny does not
disappoint. The deeper into the writing one goes, the reader understands that
this is a book about
watching, listening, and interpreting the multitude of experiences that bombard
the senses every single
moment. What can we learn? How do we utilize these things to make changes in our
lives?
As we follow him into his status , we are given glimpses into a life as husband
and father. Author Pasca
captures the joy and wonder as he finds himself growing with his children. Life
is not simply about
advice and demonstration; rather tasting and seeing the new that surrounds our
lives every single
moment, indeed with every breath taken. He has determined that his life with his
wife and children – his
colleagues, politics and traveling will be a collaborative project of learning
from one another.
My favorite poem in Raven Wire is June First
“Our baby is almost five, He eats olives, knows the difference
between ride, crash and hi-hat cymbals and says things like Daddy, imagine
we are on a chessboard and I am a pawn and you are the knight.
He likes spotting leaves at the bottom of our uncovered pool,
its murky depth slowly morphing to emerald. He bends close – “
“At night, he and his brother breathe down
the hall, sleep to a recording of ocean waves. My wife and I
hold hands atop the sheets, windows open, the legs
of crickets rubbing through the room – “
Raven Wire is an intelligent, well-crafted, often metaphoric book of poetry.
This writer has reached out
to show through his enlightening words the importance of paying attention to
those things which
surround us and yet are not always seen.
I am honored to review this brilliant book, Raven Wire. Matt Pasca has a very
special gift, like few
others, he is able to reach in and touch his soul.