Perverse Verse
by Michael Gould
It’s a small book, 76 text pages, and you could read it through in a sitting. Do that to start with, if you wish, to get an idea of the collection as a whole. But then, take your time to go back through and appreciate each of the ‘verses’ individually. You’ll want to, perhaps more than once, and your time will be rewarded.
All of the poems are short – they’re pithy, meaningful, effective. The Author himself puts it as “humorous (often black) yet reflective”, of “appeal to baby boomers the hip general and literate reader and lovers of wordplay”. Sounds quite like me.
So, bearing in mind the opening verse addressed to “My Executioner” –
Please give me a moment to relax
before you aim the blade of your axe
at the back of my head and render me dead
and allow me to take a bow
for a life lived well in the here and now.
– here are my thoughts.
Together, the poems suggest a personal summing-up of the Author’s life, his accrued insights and wisdom, leading to growing acceptance of the eventual inescapable end that comes to us all.
They are tellingly arranged into three sections –
1: Sometimes you feel serene / as if in a pleasant dream / other times you may feel chaotic / we call that being neurotic.
What is madness
but sadness turned inside out
and life, hell
what’s that all about?
2: Everything I’ve done / was done in the past; today / I’m doing nothing.
I’m a yesterday man
who dwells in the past
and I’ve come to the conclusion
only nostalgia lasts.
3: What a life I’ve led / though most of it in his head / they’ll say once I’m dead.
In this third part, the focus becomes less personal and more world-centred with environmentally-conscious reflections on the present state of the planet –
We’ll end up tourists in space
witnessing the extinction
of the human race.
A small collection but, along with moments of fun, it packs a punch with many lines inviting and inspiring reflection. It is well presented – the quality paper, clear print of a good font and size (unlike many poetry books) makes reading easy for baby boomers!
Michael Gould’s verses, perverse or otherwise, have appeared in numerous publications.
by Michael Gould
It’s a small book, 76 text pages, and you could read it through in a sitting. Do that to start with, if you wish, to get an idea of the collection as a whole. But then, take your time to go back through and appreciate each of the ‘verses’ individually. You’ll want to, perhaps more than once, and your time will be rewarded.
All of the poems are short – they’re pithy, meaningful, effective. The Author himself puts it as “humorous (often black) yet reflective”, of “appeal to baby boomers the hip general and literate reader and lovers of wordplay”. Sounds quite like me.
So, bearing in mind the opening verse addressed to “My Executioner” –
Please give me a moment to relax
before you aim the blade of your axe
at the back of my head and render me dead
and allow me to take a bow
for a life lived well in the here and now.
– here are my thoughts.
Together, the poems suggest a personal summing-up of the Author’s life, his accrued insights and wisdom, leading to growing acceptance of the eventual inescapable end that comes to us all.
They are tellingly arranged into three sections –
1: Sometimes you feel serene / as if in a pleasant dream / other times you may feel chaotic / we call that being neurotic.
What is madness
but sadness turned inside out
and life, hell
what’s that all about?
2: Everything I’ve done / was done in the past; today / I’m doing nothing.
I’m a yesterday man
who dwells in the past
and I’ve come to the conclusion
only nostalgia lasts.
3: What a life I’ve led / though most of it in his head / they’ll say once I’m dead.
In this third part, the focus becomes less personal and more world-centred with environmentally-conscious reflections on the present state of the planet –
We’ll end up tourists in space
witnessing the extinction
of the human race.
A small collection but, along with moments of fun, it packs a punch with many lines inviting and inspiring reflection. It is well presented – the quality paper, clear print of a good font and size (unlike many poetry books) makes reading easy for baby boomers!
Michael Gould’s verses, perverse or otherwise, have appeared in numerous publications.
Review by Bronwyn Elsmore
Title: Perverse Verse
Author: Michael Gould
Publisher: Umbrella Books
ISBN: 978-0-473-75572-0
RRP: $30
Available: Unity Books, Scorpio Books and other quality bookstores
Author: Michael Gould
Publisher: Umbrella Books
ISBN: 978-0-473-75572-0
RRP: $30
Available: Unity Books, Scorpio Books and other quality bookstores
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