31st
Eric in POETRY
A quick note to let you know about some very lovely poems in this October’s issue of Poetry by my friend Eric Ekstrand. They’re each called “Appleblossom”. Via Poetry:
“Each “Appleblossom” is a verse translation from the Japanese of a short selection from the notebooks of Chiri, Bashō’s traveling companion during the years between Withered Chestnuts and Travelogue of Weatherbeaten Bones.”
I really like Eric’s “Appleblossom” poems- there’s an attention to sound that, along with the longer lines, make each poem feel whole, like I could drop one on the ground and it’d be okay. They smell like fields & grass & rocks & wind. There’s a delicate homoeroticism running through the work, something I always enjoy.
If you don’t have the October issue of Poetry, you can (and should) read the “Appleblossom” poems in Poetry’s online archives.
Two other poems by Eric appeared on _Catch/Confetti back in April. Coincidentally, they’re perfect for Halloween- have a look at Eric’s poems ON BECOMING A GHOST and THE HOUSE ON VERSE LN.
