A Guide to Getting Lost --by Jeremy Springsteed

 Nonfiction / poetry 

Cyberwit.net

2022

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8182539412

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8182539419

75 pages

25 poems

4 Stars

 

I am, perhaps, being unfair in my 4-star review of this book. Mr. Springsteed is a performance poet of some renown in the Seattle area. Alas, this reviewer missed the performance poetry gene of appreciation. Although I was not able to connect with the poems, that is not to say they weren’t well constructed and quite possibly another reviewer will give it a higher rating.

 

Although I did not connect with the poems, I did, upon occasion find connection with a line or two, starting with the first, Previous Scene, and the first line, “My fingers are knives,” which immediately made me think of Edward Scissorhands. That was my first mistake, he is not channeling the spirit of said story.

 

Having lived in Seattle many years, there were some lines in Seattle, that resonated. “Still the murders go on crowing the sky, / …All the while the suicides / in their moment of flight. / At the same time sea stars / rip themselves apart.” It became obvious through several of his lines that he has lived there, and I believe still does.

 

One of my favorite lines is in Church of Me, “…unanswered prayers / that I have been saving for a soup.” That one line made the read worthwhile to me. Beyond the Breakers held some great images, “Empty boxes / begging words. // There are dreams of hiding. / Dreams of space/time…” In fact, his images were luminescent spots that brought life to the poems.

 

Batboy brought me a laugh out loud moment, with “A book of lies to explain scars,” Many were the times when something would happen, and I would make up some fantastical story to tell people the why of my bandage or cast. 

 

The title poem, A Guide To Getting Lost, has several good lines, “To get lost / one has to keep walking. / Do not stop for flowers- / they point the way home.” And two lines that had me grinning, “Remember meeting dogs? / Please explain cats.” Indeed, anyone who can explain cats has my vote.

 

And the last poem, How To Leave Things, “Set on fire / in metro tunnel. The travelers can taste / the smoke of my sleep.” 

 

So, although I only gave the book 4 stars, there very obviously are many lines that bring them to the fore. I just had to work my way through all the words to find the gems of brilliance. If you are a fan of performance poetry, you will undoubtedly be able to bring the proper cadence and inflection to these poems that they deserve, and that I could not.