This is the southern Californian writer’s first major book in ten years and is long overdue. It consists of 100 poems, most of which were written between 2018 and 2020 and published in small alternative magazines such as Red Fez, Heroin Love Songs, Misfits Miscellany, Cajun Mutt Press and many other fine publications. The title page acknowledges the book as Berriozábal’s “Collected Poems” so you will find an eclectic mix of subject matter, points of view and style throughout the work.
I recently asked Luis- a rare individual in the poetry world, who has an absence of ego & pomp, why he took so long between gigs. He replied in his typical, understated way:
“I am not good at promoting my work. Mostly, I share a post on Facebook to let readers and friends know that I have a poem here and there. If I would not have been encouraged by poet Jack Henry to get a book out, I may still be content writing poems, submitting them, and hopefully getting them published without thinking seriously about putting together a collection for a book.
“From time to time over the years I thought of getting something out. One never knows when his time will come to leave this world. If my cancer scare in 2018 did not push me to get something out before it was too late, this pandemic gave me the shove to get something out for the few people who read my words.”
Asked about the steps he took to get the book into print, Luis explained to me, “I thought I would start off with some of the stronger and newer poems up first. To be honest, poetry is a subjective thing, and what one poet thinks is a strong poem, another person reading it might think it is not really good.
“Kevin was easy to work with and he was patient with me and with my choice of how the poems were sequenced. I also have poet and collagist Glenn Cooper to thank. I share most of my poems with him and he has a keen eye and is honest in his opinion of what I send. He lets me know when something is subpar. It does not upset me to receive constructive criticism. It actually helps me see things from other perspectives and to improve upon my work.”
The front cover art taken from Berriozábal’s drawings, is designed by his editor and publisher Wolf Kevin Martin. Asked to comment on the art and the symbolism behind it, Luis says, “I sent Kevin Martin several of my drawings and he used two particular drawings which he merged into one. One of my co-workers had mentioned to me that some of my drawings were reminiscent of Lotería drawings. Lotería is a classic Mexican game, that is related to Mexican culture and is widely popular. It brings me back to my childhood and memories of playing the game with my family. The back cover are images from that game.
“The front cover deals with the nightmare that has been America for the past four to five years and beyond and the media’s over attention on narcissists and golf playing politicians and media types who spread conspiracy theories instead of dealing with real problems like the pandemic and social issues such as climate change.”
The opening & titular poem ‘Make The Water Laugh’ is after the Mexican poet Coral Bracho. The poem appears to be emblematic of Berriozábal’s important new work. It points to “the world falling apart” and “certain uncertainties”, most likely referring to the current pandemic, global warming and his recent cancer scare. He has learnt to cope with these traumas by “learning patience”, “moving mountains with my mind”, communing with nature- and by creating and rejoicing in “the complexity” of his Art. The poem has a surreal quality which enables the poet "to see through" things:
Make the Water Laugh
After Coral Bracho
I try to make the water laugh
for my own amusement. I
always try to do the improbable,
like moving mountains with my
mind, like learning patience
when the world is falling apart,
and for a brief moment I think
I heard the water snort. This
was too brief for a laugh. Still,
I heard its snort and I was
in disbelief and despite certain
uncertainties I could see through
its transparent body. I celebrated
the complexity of my achievement.
(all poems in this review have been posted with the permission of the poet)
Berriozábal says of the poem: “‘Make the Water Laugh’ was influenced by Coral Bracho’s poetry, in particular ‘Wasp on Water’. I borrowed a few of her words from that poem, but not her style or aesthetic. I do enjoy her poetry and recommend it to those who have not read her work. The style of the poem is my own as are the sentiments. The poem is influenced by absurd and surreal poetry. However, I utilized simple words and language.”
He says with an element of gravity about of the collection as a whole, “This book is for me, for them, and for all the poets who have influenced my work over the years.”
In the interview which follows this review, Berriozábal’s list of literary influences is extensive, “I continue to discover writers all the time, some new and many long dead. For this book, the work of Spanish poets is prevalent, including Federico Garcia Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Miguel Hernandez, Gerardo Diego, Juan Ramon Jimenez, Leonardo Panero, and many others. There is also a great influence from the poets of South America such as Cesar Vallejo, Julio Cortazar, Vicente Huidobro, Nicanor Parra, Pablo Neruda, and Alejandra Pizarnik.
“A few of the poems were also influenced by American poets, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and the Beats. Two of the poems were influenced by Gregory Corso. There are also poems influenced by French poets such as Arthur Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, Guillaume Apollinaire, Yves Bonnefoy, Paul Valery, Stephane Mallarme, Benjamin Peret and others as well.
“I take a little from everyone but not too much as the words are my own and as are the way the words are put together. I experiment with words and sometimes it works. Other times the poem implodes so I start over again to make sure it is decent enough to share. There are influences from the Asian poets such as Tu Fu and Basho. Other poets that have influenced me along the way are also here in these pages, which includes Leonard Cirino, Robert Edwards, and Luis Omar Salinas.”
Make the Water Laugh is not a themed collection but there are common motifs scattered throughout the book. Nature, for example, in its many forms- the sun, the moon, stars, birds, trees and the weather, is often personified and is represented as having peaceful, restorative and life affirming qualities.
In the simple but evocative poem ‘Stand with Me’ the speaker fears death and finds solace in a little bird:
Stand with Me
Stand with me for a little while.
I am not ready to go to sleep.
I have a thousand things to say
to you. Snow is too cold. Bring
on a little sunlight. I would not
mind listening to the fallen rain
in the morning. Stand with me
for a little while. What is the rush
that keeps you always in flight?
Little bird, I want to talk about
the stars. Stand with me until
I fall asleep. I do not want to die.
The poem reminds the reader of the poet’s recent brush with death.
There are about two dozen other poems which explore “nature” and are amongst the most memorable in the collection. The best of these include ‘Night Holds Up the Sky’, ‘Silver Bright’, ‘Dying Ember’, ‘The Bird’s Shadow’, ‘A Blue Moon Shines on You’ ‘Snow Song’ and the incredible ‘The Thief of Solitude’:
The Thief of Solitude
Under a dimming sky
I arrive at my destination.
No longer anxious,
I become motionless
like the thief of solitude.
No longer frenetically thinking,
I listen to hear
a pin drop
with my soul.
I fall asleep with my eyes open.
No longer delirious,
My heart steadies.
In this room of silence
not a peep gets out.
No longer trembling,
I am immobile.
I lay down roots and catch my breath.
See also ‘A Blue Moon Shines on You’ which was first published by Cajun Mutt Press here: https://cajunmuttpress.wordpress.com/2019/10/11/cajun-mutt-press-featured-writer-10-11-19/
Asked about his fascination with nature, Berriozábal says, “I have always been preoccupied with birds, especially their song and flight. I marvel at the things they do. Things I would never be able to do. There is a soothing feeling I get when I hear them sing, watch them fly, see them in the trees doing what they do.
“The stars, the sun, and the moon, are often present in my work as well. It is just my acknowledgment of nature, beauty, darkness, and light…I know that I enjoy writing about nature, describing what I see and the feelings I get from the moon, the stars, the sun, and the birds. The feelings could be that of joy, happiness, loneliness, or sadness.”
Berriozábal’s nature poems are sharply contrasted, like William Blake with his work which deals with the evil and self-destructive tendencies of humankind. He is repelled by what he sees around him- the seething anger (‘The Anger of Man’), the bullshit conspiracy theories which abound (‘The Conspiracy Theorist’), the mass production of bombs (‘Fierce Gold Sun’), how people exploit and pollute the earth for profit (‘The Breeze that Surrounds’) and how “The world is// a disaster of our own making”… of “endless wars” and how we need to “fight for/ justice and equality” (‘Pure Words’).
In the remarkable poem ‘Hubble Spots Galaxy Moving Away From Us at 3 Million Miles per Hour’ he imagines the Hubble telescope speeding away from the planet and alludes to the central image of the front cover and rhetorically posits, “Who wants to stick/ around for this freak show/ that’s televised 24/7?” and later exigently asks “Who can/ make sense of us?”
Another aspect of Berriozábal’s writing in Make The Water Laugh which may be of interest to readers are his many poems which have been inspired by his job in the mental health field in LA over many decades. In these poems he usually adopts the point of view of a variety of patients who are ailing from a wide range of psychiatric conditions. It is in these poems that I first became familiar with Berriozábal’s poetry about 20 years ago.
The distinction between the voices of mentally ill and of the poet are sometimes blurred, such as in the poems ‘Night Falls From the Sky’ and ‘Snowy Night’, but overall, the first person “psychiatric poems” form an important ongoing contribution to Berriozábal’s poetic world.
Read ‘Snowy Night’ on Red Fez here: https://www.redfez.net/poetry/snow-snowy-night-2558
In poems such as ‘Green Door’, ‘Going Out Tonight’, ‘The Good Life’, ‘What I Dream About’, ‘Fix Life’, ‘The Mouth Of The River Rat’, ‘Absurd Ramblings’ and ‘Three Gods’ he uses pared back, uncomplicated language to describe complex conditions that have afflicted many of his clients- social anxiety, paranoia, schizophrenia, self-hatred, delusions, personal grandeur, auditory & visual hallucinations- and perhaps the scariest, the fear that they are going insane.
In the prose poem ‘Three Gods’ the speaker thinks he is God:
Three Gods
I do the best I can which is not nearly enough. I would not be
In here if everything were fine. I have a complaint about my
Roommate. He thinks he’s God. I am tired of his blasphemies
And grandiose thoughts. I thought everybody knew that I was
God. He doesn’t respect me. I don’t know for how long I
Could forgive him. I am a wrathful God. I once caused
Devastation at General Hospital with a damp towel and two
Bars of soap. There was another imposter there trying to usurp
My throne. I had to put him in his place. I am everywhere. I
Hear everything. I am giving my roommate one more
Chance. Before something happens you need to put him on
Another ward; or you could just let me go. I only agreed to
Come here to spread the Word to the sick and the mentally
Ill. In two weeks’ time I have made much progress. Dozens of
Patients have been released under my watch. I let the doctors
And other hospital staff take the credit. They are mere mortals
With self-esteem issues. I am God. Everyone knows
Me. Apparently, there is one exception.
‘See also ‘What I Dream About’ which first appeared in Rusty Truck here: https://rustytruck.wordpress.com/category/luis-cuauhtemoc-berriozabal/
Asked about his intention in including these aberrant voices in his poetry, Berriozábal is candid, “I have learned so much from the people I have worked with. Many of us have someone we know, a friend, a family member, a neighbor, who suffers from mental illness. Their struggle is real. Speaking in their voice, I want to call attention to their struggle, to tell their story, and their need for help.”
The collection also explores other important Berriozábalian themes- the quest for love, dreams, writing, ageing, death and the hope of a better world. He says briefly of these themes and of his writing in general, "I write personal poems about myself as a way of catharsis. It is a way expunging feelings of self-doubt, loneliness, and sadness. The quest for love is something we all have gone through no matter how many times we have given up. Dreams, getting up in age, and death are subjects I come back to a lot.
“What is not to like about dreams? My favorite part of the day is when I sleep. I cannot wait to experience a new dream. So many of my dreams I forget, but some are so vivid that I often write about them. Some make no sense at all and some are downright scary.
“Death and poems about getting older is just me getting older, knowing that I cannot do things I used to do, and knowing that there is no such thing as immortality.”
In a recent interview with Hosho McCreesh, Berriozábal furthers this idea of writing as being therapeutic and how it can nourish our souls and make us better people:
"Through poetry we can reach people all over the world and through poetry they can reach us. Poetry should be shared. I know that for my world, I need poetry. It is cathartic. It expels the feelings that I have inside that may be bringing me down. Without poetry the world would be a dark place. Poetry feeds and nourishes the soul. It will live long after we are gone and the world will be a better place knowing this."
Read the full McCreesh/ Berriozábal interview here: https://www.hoshomccreesh.com/news/2021/2/10/lcb?rq=Luis%20
Make The Water Laugh is a highly original and intellectually satisfying book to read. The subject matter is varied and the language is simple but layered. There is always an alluring but indefinable texture to it. This an excellent collection from one of the best and most consistent writers today in the small alternative press.
Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Water-Laugh-Cuauhtémoc-Berriozabal/dp/B08TZ9M2N8
Luis, it's been ten years since you last published a substantial book of poems. Why the long delay?
While I am often writing, I have not taken the time to put a collection together since around 2011, when Poet’s Democracy was kind enough to publish my last full-length book, Peering Into the Sun. I am not good at promoting my work. Mostly, I share a post on Facebook to let readers and friends know that I have a poem here and there. If I would not have been encouraged by poet Jack Henry to get a book out, I may still be content writing poems, submitting them, and hopefully getting them published without thinking seriously about putting together a collection for a book. From time to time over the years I thought of getting something out. One never knows when his time will come to leave this world. If my cancer scare in 2018 did not push me to get something out before it was too late, this pandemic gave me the shove to get something out for the few people who read my words. This book is for me, for them, and for all the poets who have influenced my work over the years.
Many of us are sure glad you did! What steps were taken in getting Make The Water Laugh into print?
Again, I have Mr. Henry to thank for getting me in touch with Kevin Wolf Man Martin and Rogue Wolf Press. The sequencing of the poems was nothing special in particular. I thought I would start off with some of the stronger and newer poems up first. To be honest, poetry is a subjective thing, and what one poet thinks is a strong poem, another person reading it might think it is not really good. Kevin was easy to work with and he was patient with me and with my choice of how the poems were sequenced. I also have poet and collagist Glenn Cooper to thank. I share most of my poems with him and he has a keen eye and is honest in his opinion of what I send. He lets me know when something is subpar. It does not upset me to receive constructive criticism. It actually helps me see things from other perspectives and to improve upon my work.
More than a decade ago, poet and editor Leonard Cirino, was someone I shared my words with. He would provide encouragement, constructive criticism, and kind comments on my work.
Can you comment on your choice of front cover art by Wolf Kevin Martin and the symbolism behind it?
The cover art consisted of a work calendar I have been doing since the first day of the year 2000. I sent Kevin Martin several of my drawings and he used two particular drawings which he merged into one. One of my co-workers had mentioned to me that some of my drawings were reminiscent of Lotería drawings. Lotería is a classic Mexican game, that is related to Mexican culture and is widely popular. It brings me back to my childhood and memories of playing the game with my family. The back cover are images from that game. The front cover deals with the nightmare that has been America for the past four to five years and beyond and the media’s over attention on narcissists and golf playing politicians and media types who spread conspiracy theories instead of dealing with real problems like the pandemic and social issues such as climate change. Kevin did a good job with the cover and overall project.
The opening and titular poem 'Make The Water Laugh' is after the Mexican poet Coral Bracho. Is the poem after a specific poem of hers or after themes she embeds in her poems, such as the continuity of water and an awareness of the artistic process?
The poem ‘Make the Water Laugh’ was influenced by Coral Bracho’s poetry, in particular ‘Wasp on Water’. I borrowed a few of her words from that poem, but not her style or aesthetic. I do enjoy her poetry and recommend it to those who have not read her work. The style of the poem is my own as are the sentiments. The poem is influenced by absurd and surreal poetry. However, I utilized simple words and language.
Read Coral Bracho’s poem ‘Wasp on Water here:
https://www.poetrytranslation.org/poems/wasp-on-water
You demonstrate an awareness of many other writers and styles in the collection. Can you provide an overview of some of the most important writers who have influenced the development of your poetry?
There are so many writers that have influenced my work since I started reading. The list is never ending, and I continue to discover writers all the time, some new and many long dead. For this book, the work of Spanish poets is prevalent, including Federico Garcia Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Miguel Hernandez, Gerardo Diego, Juan Ramon Jimenez, Leonardo Panero, and many others not listed here. There is also a great influence from the poets of South America such as Cesar Vallejo, Julio Cortazar, Vicente Huidobro, Nicanor Parra, Pablo Neruda, and Alejandra Pizarnik. Again, there are more poets not mentioned here.
A few of the poems were also influenced by American poets, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and the Beats. Two of the poems were influenced by Gregory Corso. There are also poems influenced by French poets such as Arthur Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, Guillaume Apollinaire, Yves Bonnefoy, Paul Valery, Stephane Mallarme, Benjamin Peret and others as well.
I take a little from everyone but not too much as the words are my own and as are the way the words are put together. I experiment with words and sometimes it works. Other times the poem implodes so I start over again to make sure it is decent enough to share. There are influences from the Asian poets such as Tu Fu and Basho. Other poets that have influenced me along the way are also here in these pages, which includes Leonard Cirino, Robert Edwards, and Luis Omar Salinas.
That is an impressive list, Luis! You write many poems about the sun and the moon and stars and birds, particularly in the previously unpublished poems at the beginning of the collection. Why the fascination? Can you explain your view of the cosmos in your poetry and how everything fits in?
I have always been preoccupied with birds, especially their song and flight. I marvel at the things they do. Things I would never be able to do. There is a soothing feeling I get when I hear them sing, watch them fly, see them in the trees doing what they do. Then there is the awful song of crows which I also use in my poems.
The stars, the sun, and the moon, are often present in my work as well. It is just my acknowledgment of nature, beauty, darkness, and light. I am not the only poet who has paid homage to the sun and the moon, the stars in the sky. In regard to the cosmos in my poetry and how everything fits in, I do not have any deep answer to that. I know that I enjoy writing about nature, describing what I see and the feelings I get from the moon, the stars, the sun, and the birds. The feelings could be that of joy, happiness, loneliness, or sadness. To borrow from Chris Bell of Big Star, “I am the cosmos” as well. We all fit in this universe and are part of it.
There are also glimpses in your poetry of humankind and his harsh impact on the planet. Do you remain optimistic about the future?
I would like to believe that humankind could be intelligent enough to make wise decisions to end the pollution and destruction that we have wreaked on the planet. As long as greed continues to be a trait for many of our fellow human beings, the future is on shaky grounds. With that said, I am optimistic. Without optimism, what is the point of life?
You include several poems which appear to be written from the point of view of people who have a variety of mental illnesses. What is your intention in including these voices and how has your employment in the mental health field helped to shape them?
I have worked in the mental health field for more than 20 years. I have learned so much from the people I have worked with. Many of us have someone we know, a friend, a family member, a neighbor, who suffers from mental illness. Their struggle is real. Speaking in their voice, I want to call attention to their struggle, to tell their story, and their need for help.
Beautifully expressed. You also include some more personal poems about writing, the quest for love, loneliness, dreams, ageing and death. What do you want your readers to take away from your writing?
I write personal poems about myself as a way of catharsis. It is a way expunging feelings of self-doubt, loneliness, and sadness. The quest for love is something we all have gone through no matter how many times we have given up. Dreams, getting up in age, and death are subjects I come back to a lot.
What is not to like about dreams? My favorite part of the day is when I sleep. I cannot wait to experience a new dream. So many of my dreams I forget, but some are so vivid that I often write about them. Some make no sense at all and some are downright scary.
Death and poems about getting older is just me getting older, knowing that I cannot do things I used to do, and knowing that there is no such thing as immortality.
What's next for you?
I would like to do another book. However, I would like to wait a while, maybe a year or 10 years if I am so lucky. I have enough material for several chapbooks or books, but I need to make time to organize the poems. I have been drawing a lot lately as well. Drawing is another way to relax and expel any pressure or worries I have been feeling. It is much like poetry.
Thanks Luis for your frank, detailed responses.
Thank you George. I answered the questions to the best of my ability. In all honesty, for someone who writes a lot, I am a shy person, who does not like to write about himself.
Bio: Luis lives in California and works in Los Angeles. He is the author of Raw Materials (Pygmy Forest Press), Before and Well After Midnight (Deadbeat Press), Peering Into the Sun (Poet’s Democracy), Songs for Oblivion (Alternating Current Press/Propaganda Press). The Book of Absurd Dreams (New Polish Beat), Everything is Permitted (Ten Pages Press/ebook), and eight chapbooks from Kendra Steiner Editions, including Make the Light Mine, Garden of Rocks, and Still Human.
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