Red Canyon Petroglyph
Distractions
I.
The soldier stood stock still
in the testudo, wondering
if he left the olive press on.
II.
In the spring rain
the prairie dog not totally at fault
for the fall of the catafalque.
III.
One red ant hauling
a morsel along the line, recalling
the sunbeam catastrophe.
IV.
My daughter signs a chastity card
in Sunday school. I should keep this in my bra
she says, so it’s there when I need it.
_____________
Brian Builta
Review by Jared Pearce
The five images here are fun—and I think poetry could do with some fun these days—with both what is stated and what is not stated. I’m not sure what the sunbeam catastrophe was, but I’m sure it was a terrible, terrible day for ant-kind, probably a day when some chump kid got his grubby hands on a magnifying glass.
Review by Massimo Fantuzzi
Lucidity and wit in these perfectly formed pictures of the possible disasters lurking and prophesized behind every corner. Those memories cloud and momentarily disrupt our stride offering a passing interruption and pause for reflection. Tragic miscalculations, natural and manmade disasters, unchecked drives: we make a mental folder of all likely future past misadventures while we pigheadedly look and move forward onto yet another door.