In My Other Life

The first thing to notice in any poem by Charan Sue Wollard is the musicality of her words. Lines flow effortlessly; an inner rhythm propels the sound. Then evocative imagery comes to the fore: "We saw a legless man in Delhi/balanced on a creeper." It is only after, when light and sound have been explored and appreciated, that the concept at the heart of the poem emerges. Wollard’s gift is finding meaning in the mundane – birds, rocks, daffodils, a pair of socks. Sometimes that meaning is delivered with pathos ("Plea to an Iraqi Woman") or passion ("I Pledge Allegiance to Freedom"), other times with quirky humor ("There is no lover like cotton socks.") This slim volume, pairing poems with a half-dozen of Wollard’s abstract paintings, is evidence of a fascinating point of view.