Black Heart: Poems

Description

This long-awaited collection of poetry from Greg Field explores his mid-continent heritage| complicated by mixed Potawatomi Indian and Jewish families. How to survive broken histories? Try jazz. Try humor. Try speaking from the heart. This poet’s poet appeals to all readers. Field is an artist| writer| drummer| sailor| chemist| computer geek| and network administrator. This range of knowledge informs his writing. Dreams| broken lineages| cultural histories| griefs – all add subterranean layers to his verse. He tells lost histories| like the time his Potawatomi-descended father told him: “Walk quiet in the woods / like your grandfather’s ghost.” / He had two fathers and neither was a ghost.” This “grandfather’s ghost|” invoked before the death of the grandparents| is a spirit that lives within Black Heart. Other stories haunt this collection| like that of the Jewish great-grandmother who survived pogroms| only to become an outcast again in the United States. The death of Field’s first wife wends through the pages| a parallel life that occurs on another plane of existence. Field depicts his scenes clearly| and the broken images he invokes add further powers. William Trowbridge| Missouri Poet Laureate writes: “Greg Field’s heart is in the wilderness| internal as well as external; the wilderness of dream| memory| and imagination| as well as grassland| river| and forest. These poems demonstrate Field’s craftsmanship| his musician’s ear| and his ability to reveal| through close observation| mystery in the commonplace. Unlike many poets| Field combines his seriousness with wry humor.”