VIEW FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD V

This collection of poetry and prose aims at providing an illuminating examination of life’s critical junctures.

Seventeen poems and two short pieces are offered in this fifth volume of a series. The poetry is written entirely by Lucinda Clark, whose opening dedication celebrates the united voice of womankind: “See us speak with one voice. / Now / Hear us roar!” Charged with positivity, her poetry addresses a variety of themes. “Mantra of a Bridge Builder” stresses the importance of forging human connections and maintaining open-mindedness whereas “Transition From How Things Used To Be” addresses changes in world consciousness, targeting the negative aspects of social media while delivering hope for the future. Other pieces are more whimsical in nature—the author’s “alien observation” poems ponder how extraterrestrials would interpret humans using lipstick or playing golf. Also included in the work is a short story by R. Xavier Clark entitled “Black People Don’t Tango,” about a reluctant father who is coerced into taking dance lessons and becomes a “dancing fiend,” to the consternation of his wife. The volume closes with “I Survived,” an excerpt from Sobrevivi, a memoir by Marconi, about surviving domestic abuse. Although it becomes clear that the collection addresses themes of personal and global transition, an introduction describing its literary intentions and explaining the connection among the featured writers would have benefited readers. Lucinda Clark’s poetry stands out, demonstrating an effortless ability to introduce complex ideas with clarity. Poems such as “Chances Are” present a Zen-like sagacity: “For a person who gives something / Someone a chance / Is learning to trust. / The receiver is learning humility.” R. Xavier Clark’s short story twists and turns compellingly, although the language can prove stiffly formal: “My father began to improve exponentially.” Marconi’s excerpt bravely addresses a distressing subject, but the author’s translation from the original memoir, which was written in Spanish, is weak: “The golden leaves of many trees still powerful, even though winters and autumn dishevel their old scalps.” Despite possessing tenuous thematic connections, the poetry and prose in these pages do not sit well together. This reads like a volume of poetry by Lucinda Clark with two pieces by other authors inexplicably shoehorned in. The result is an unsatisfying and perplexingly inconsistent compendium.

A collection delivers vivid moments of poetic enlightenment but lacks cohesion.