"Surely there is something other than this
something other than plucking each
other until our quiet stems are clean
and there are no more feathers to fly home on"
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Night Visions by Stephen J. Herman Trafford Publishing
book review by L. Alonso
The title of Herman's poetry collection is remarkably apt in its simplicity. The 48 verses contained in this thoughtful compilation convey that same blend of wonder and epiphany the term "Night Visions" seems to imply. Indeed the bulk of Herman's work is imbued with an uninterrupted dreamlike quality that the reader comes to identify as uniquely his. It is this distinct voice that lends his poetry a sense of credibility that is consistent throughout the entire anthology.
In "The Inheritance," Herman compares himself to his grandfathers, butchers by trade: I am stacking the memory / with sinews and flanks / Like my grandfather / and his father / before him / my head rocks shut / in the great gas mouth / of the sea. Herman's turns of phrase and use of metaphor are striking in their simplicity and ingenuity. He does not rely on overused references to transmit his vision, but rather composes new, indelible images on his own terms.
"Bringing in the New Year" examines a post retirement identity with little evidence of sentimentality: Gone are the button-downed / report deadlines / So this / is the retirement my father / spoke about every day. He later reflects: He found his peace as I must mine / sleeping yet awake in the hammock / by the brook. This image of a sort of restless repose seems to perfectly capture not only a specific, individual moment, but the unarguable universality of this experience.
Herman's nuanced style lends itself to multiple readings. Representing an array of inspirational material, from the moon to Allen Ginsberg, from raccoons to Diana the Huntress, Herman's poetry is unfailingly fresh and layered in its approach. His careful use of language and imagery succeed in not only achieving a lyrical harmony and visual immediacy, but in engaging the reader both on an intellectual and emotional level every time.