Knowing When --by Mark Fleisher

 Publisher: Mercury HeartLink (March 7, 2023)

Language: English

Paperback: 56 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1949652260

Stars: 5

 

 

This my third book of poetry by Mark Fleisher, the first two being Incidental Moments and Intersections. One of the reasons I dearly love the poetry of this man is his unabashed willingness to include his wife. For her help and support, but mostly just because he’s in love with her.

 

This is a chapbook of about 26 poems, beginning with “The Mystery Of It All” which begins, “Like bards and troubadours / of days long past / we roam the countryside /” Right there, I knew I would like this book. And like the bards of old, Fleisher takes us through the countryside of life, death, and all that makes us human.

 

“Bittersweet Christmas” brought tears. Even now, I’m not sure exactly how it ends, and I’ve read it several times, “Her eyes could not contain / tears that welled and a few / slowly rolled down her checks /”.  The title poem, “Knowing When”is the penultimate poem of the collection, which this reviewer thinks is too short, by several poems (possibly not yet written). This poem gives us all a tutorial on when to walk off the stage. It us up to us to recognize it.

 

I eagerly await the next book. Mr. Fleisher writes narrative poetry, stories in stanzas, stories and stanzas that will melt your heart, bring a tear or two, or a laugh or three. Knowing When is delightful.

Incidental Moments—by Mark Fleisher

 Nonfiction / poetry

Mercury HeartLink

February 14, 2022

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1949652181

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1949652185

112 pages

Print Price: $18.00

5 Stars

 

I am always amazed at Mr. Fleisher’s depth of language usage. I have read and enjoyed his book, Intersections, and am proud to place this book, Incidental Moments on the shelf next to it.

 

From the first poem, “Morning Welcome,” to the last poem, “The Fallen,” we are granted access to incidental moments, snap shots if you will, of his life. Morning Welcome with, “...the itinerant canary / but not muffling its birdsong /welcoming the morning / with unscheduled delight.” If I had an itinerant canary to sing to me, I might learn to love mornings.

 

Fleisher has poems that range from “Let it Rain” (he lives in the high desert of New Mexico) to “More than a Few” that begins, “Eight minutes, forty-seconds” and ends that poem with, “The acts of a few bad apples? // More than a few… / so many, so blatant, so common, / enough to turn the entire bushel rotten.”

 

Many of his poems are tributes to life, from “Moon Shot” to “Wonderment,” and a child’s innocent wonder and joy at a special discovery. His final poem is a tribute to “The Fallen.” A Vietnam veteran, he brings special meaning to this poem. It is sad, but powerful, and a good poem to end the book. It will make you think. 

 

This is a powerful book, with delightful moments of tenderness and joy, as well as a few times when tissue and tears are appropriate. It’s a book I will read again, and then again.