The poems in this collection are clearly written and introspective, but at times, self indulgent.
Baker appears to be a poet in search of an idea which he is able to find in rare moments of clarity- when his
seething anger has subsided or when the pharmaceuticals have kicked in. In ‘I’m
awake now’ he says matter-of-factly, ‘The new dosages make my sleep sound and
solid, they offer/ clarity for a time now and I can breath slowly without
malice’.
Baker’s many endearing poems of love to his wife, family, brother and
dead friends are perhaps overshadowed by a menacing tone that violence lurks just below the surface and will surge out shrieking once the brief, calm veneer is shed. There are
numerous references to submerged violence and Baker's constant references to weapons- using
a loaded .357 as a paper weight (‘I’ve been known to take long walks’), shooting
holes through his unsuccessful poems in target practice ('I'm awake now') and even implying a
desire to overthrow the communists in Cuba (‘it seems (prisoners of
consciousness’). He asks in ‘a bitch for fun’: ‘are those I shoot supposed to
appreciate the extra money I spent/ getting the best available?’ In one of
Baker’s best poems ‘7.62x54R’ ‘the madman levels his rifle/ in calm calculus’
and a poet standing in the street with his notebook is murdered, ‘Last poem
penned/ in darkest red.’
In an earlier edition of this review, I suggested this collection ironically represented as good an argument as you could get in favour of imposing stricter gun controls on American citizens. One reader thought it was a good thing that I lived in Australia and Baker in America. But I've since been reassured that Baker is only interested in tinkering with guns and would never use them on himself, his family or others. Keep on eye out for this man (and his poetry):
A free download of the collection can be found here:
A free download of the collection can be found here:
Jhon Baker’s blog can be found here: http://willfulresemblance.wordpress.com
