Apologies to an Apple by Maya Ganesan
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Apologies to an Apple by Maya Ganesan is a breath of fresh air in contemporary poetry. At eleven years old, Maya has a crisp style and is very observant and critical. Her poems do not criticize overtly, like some poets that tend to hammer their messages home.
"They see the horizon, a smoky gold line
over the sea,
and call it names like faraway and
we'll-never-reach-there.
To them,
horizon is a dream" (From Ash-Colored, pg. 10)
In these simple lines, the narrator observes the horizon in terms of what it means, its location, and how it is perceived by others. It is an unattainable destination or a dream.
Maya uses short lines to let readers examine the images and statements and discern their own meaning--the greater meaning. Readers will be reminded of William Carlos Williams' short lines, but Ganesan's work holds a veiled innocence. For such a young age, Ganesan has an old soul with a great deal of wisdom. Some of these poems will make readers blush with their self-imposed innuendo.
A Message for You (Page 21)
I have traced your name
with
my finger
on the steamy
glass doors surrounding
the shower.
Readers will find poems to treasure, to savor, and to hold close to their hearts in this slim volume. As a debut book of poetry, it stands tall among a vast crowd, waiting for readers to hear its whisper.
Yesterday (Page 24)
Yesterday is one book,
today is another.
Different books, telling
different stories.
I like to be part of
both yesterday and
today, falling out of
one, tipped into
the other.
Her poem, September, was recently showcased in this past weekend's Virtual Poetry Circle. Readers enjoyed how the narrator speaks of trees as having souls and feelings. It is a great commentary on how little we pay attention to the environment and its importance.
Susan at ColorOnline let me borrow her signed copy of Ganesan's work for this review, though I did first read about this poetry book on 5-Squared. I'm going to have to get my hands on another copy for myself.
Also Reviewed By:
ReadWritePoem (also has a list of virtual tour sites for the book)
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4th book for the poetry review challenge.
Copyright of Serena M. Agusto-Cox at Savvy Verse & Wit 2007-2010. This is not original content, this content is owned and copyrighted by Serena M. Agusto-Cox