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a meditation, a release from life's burdens
the restless pursuit of meaning
seeing the past with absolute clarity
even when the future makes no promises."
This collection of bilingual poems is written with unabashed, raw emotional power. Focusing on the senses and its affect on memory, Secor's poems are nostalgic. They are glimpses in time, sometimes of fleeting moments, sometimes of larger moments in life that portray a range of emotions of anger, fear, sadness and happiness, and can be recalled anywhere at any time.
"House for Sale," conveys the lonely memories that linger in the emptiness of a "cool, quiet cavernous space." In "Sandy Hook Elementary," those who grieve from a tragedy are comforted by good food and company in a small diner. In "Looking into medieval Paris from la tour St-Jacques," the awesomeness of history takes hold with a "bewildering view of medieval Paris." In "Pat's Gone," a Vietnam vet is mourned and celebrated. And in the title poem, "Boomerang Girl," lifelong happiness and love is sought with "my boomerang girl."
As a bonus, Secor provides notes at the end of the book with brief details on the inspiration of his work or explanations for chosen themes. One aspect that shines in Secor's work is his brevity. He describes an image, a place, or an occurrence with as little words as possible yet still says so much. His poems are worldly, time and place are not always specific, and his subjects come from all walks of life. Several poems are even written entirely in French, but even if you know only a little of the language or none at all, you still get the basic message of the poem. Overall, this collection demonstrates Secor as a well-traveled poet, who understands and harnesses the universal themes of love, loss, and transitions in time.