The Daily Glance--State of the Union
Joshua Beckman and Matthew Zapruder edited State of the Union back in 2008, so I am a little late in saying something about the book. In fact, several of the poets have died since then; still, I have flipped through it many times, stopping over this poem or that. Some of the poems show the reaction of an age, such as Lucille Clifton's reaction to 9/11 or Juliana Spahr's reaction to George Bush in 2003. Some poems strike close to my own feelings as poet in response to war/political devastation, such as Peter Gizzi's "Protest Song":
This is not a declaration of love or song of war
not a tractate, autonym, or apologia
This won't help when the children are dying
no answer on the way to dust
This poem reminds me vaguely of Montale's "Non chiederci la parola" in that it does not explain what it cannot, but it presents what one feels.
State of the Union is still relevant seven years later, and I suspect that if I pick it up in another seven years, it will still speak to me as it does now, with some poems evoking memories and some reminding me to speak out against the many injustices still happening, that keep happening with humans.
This is not a declaration of love or song of war
not a tractate, autonym, or apologia
This won't help when the children are dying
no answer on the way to dust
This poem reminds me vaguely of Montale's "Non chiederci la parola" in that it does not explain what it cannot, but it presents what one feels.
State of the Union is still relevant seven years later, and I suspect that if I pick it up in another seven years, it will still speak to me as it does now, with some poems evoking memories and some reminding me to speak out against the many injustices still happening, that keep happening with humans.
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