Twenty First Century Blues: Mini-Review

Twenty First Century Blues by Richard Cecil is another poetry collection that I find difficult to review.  Cecil writes with wry humor about the every day--from anger over non-promotion within the university to feeding his kitten at home to travels abroad.  And he also covers historic Europe and ancient catastrophes.  There are down-home, solid descriptions and quirky, radical takes on almost everything.  I particularly enjoyed his poems that take aim at the academic life.  But then, I work in the same department as he does, so I get all the references--"The Writing Requirement" and "A Letter to William Butler Yeats" are particular favorites.  Four stars.  


Poetry Snippets:

I paused to peer up at the stained glass windows
shooting blue and ruby beams like lasers
through the gloom.
~from "Albi Cathedral" (p. 7)

But how I envy Daudet's spendthrift hero,
pursued and hounded for his precious talent.
~from "Fool's Gold" (p. 18)

You can't revisit a place where you were happy,
as you can't re-love someone you've loved and left
~from "Package Tour" (p. 34)