REVIEW ON WILLIAM MARR’S POEMS

星子評介

I remember my first strong impression on William Marr was from his poem: Installation Art -- for a visitor who has never seen snow before ( 裝置藝術 ——迎冬天來訪芝加哥的友人), I was amazed by his imagination and vitality.

What I felt maybe different from others, but I could feel a real person and a real feeling there. And what behind it was his passion and sincerity. Here is the link for the poem.

http://www.coviews.com/viewtopic.php?t=8101&highlight=snow

Though I like the feeling, I still could not connect it since Mr. Marr tries to use the word:

Installation Art (裝置藝術)

　

the snow on the grass
must be thick and soft and pure

seems to me a little too telling, the natural scene is forced to     change into his image or his wish of snow...

though all in all it conveys his feeling, the end is not soft landing. For me, I love more subtle and dedicated wording and feelings.

Lately I read more of his poems. then I find them much attractive by his awareness and perspective. As his most poems show, he has the sense and skills to find the beauty and wisdom in our daily life and express it very well through a different view or thought.

A Pebble, a fruit or a little window could be his inspiration. And the outcome is very neat and natural. Here I quote a few of his poems, I hope through understanding them, we will be more aware of small thing and other facets of life. As his poems cherish life and nature as a wonder and miracle.

Breath

A puff of air
from your sweet sigh
must have caused this breeze
that entices the flowers
to release their fragrance
and sends a shudder
passing through the leaves
And me

As you will see, the following "A FLOWER " is very lovely and vivid…. the first part, " Blooming" I could connect to poet’s youthful and awakening mind, the second part "falling", I hear his sigh…

forget me
forget me not
forget me
forget me not

The dilemma here: forget me, forget me not is very interesting and compelling… love is sweet yet bitter… forget-me-not could be the flower’s name, Mr. Marr uses that as a cunning strategy and gives us a wide imagination and subtle feeling. Very concise words, yet deep feeling…
His minimum brings much unsaid saying…


Life is short, “to the last petal” is a very beautiful ending. Very touching. It polishes the whole poem. Wow!

What else could I say? Through this reflection of life, a touch of heart, a beautiful thought and feeling of love, I am deeply moved and gain more insight on life and love.

Poems are not for reading, but for touching and feeling, they are alive, they are meaningful and full of colors.

-----the original poems:

Pebble

fire-burned water-soaked
rain-beaten wind-swiped
this little shiny pebble
lies on a sunlit road
and quietly awaits
a playful little foot
to kick it
onward

火煉過水浸過
雨打過風刮過
這顆晶瑩渾圓的
小石子
此刻被放在
陽光耀眼的路上
靜靜等待
一隻天真好玩的
腳
一路踢滾下去


A FLOWER

1. Blooming

what a vast sky

the inspired little flower
joyfully stretches every petal
to  t h e  f u l l e s t
e
x
t
e
n
t


2. Falling

never
can I listen calmly
to you counting

forget me
forget me not
forget me
forget me not……
to the last petal


花開花落

1. 花 開

天空
竟是這般
遼闊

驚喜的小花們
爭著
把每一片花瓣
都伸展到
極
限

2. 花 落

沒有一次
我能平靜地
聽你數

忘我
毋忘我
忘我
毋忘我……

到最後一瓣

　

 我記得對非馬的第一強烈的印象來自於他的詩: 裝置藝術 ——迎冬天來訪芝加哥的友人) ，我驚訝於他的想像和活力。
   也許我感受不同於別人，但是我可以在那裡感覺他作為一個真正的人和找到真正的感覺。詩的內涵揭示了他的強烈的感情和真誠的心意。詩的連結在這裡

請參考
http://www.coviews.com/viewtopic.php?t=8101&highlight=snow

      裝置藝術
       ……

      鋪在廣大草地上的雪
     必須又厚又輕又柔又白

   雖然我喜歡這樣的感覺，但是覺得非馬先生的以上字句，我很難產生共鳴:

   在我看來，有點兒做作，如果再自然一點描寫和欲擒故縱，可能效果更好。

   雖然整首詩完整地傳達他的情感，結束顯得有點生硬。當然這是我個人的感覺。對我而言，我更喜歡敏感和微妙的感覺。

   近來我讀了更多首他的詩，發現他的詩以獨到的覺察力和景觀吸引人。從此可以看到非馬先生很有天賦從我們的日常生活來找尋靈感和智慧，而得以通過詩的形式表達各種細微的美和不同的觀點。

   小圓石、水果或一扇小窗戶各種小事物可能就是他的靈感。而且表現出來非常整潔和天然的詩意。在這裡我引述幾首他的詩，我希望通過欣賞他們，我們將會更瞭解和體會各種小事物的生命和多層面意義。他的詩珍愛生活和自然，於我是小小的驚奇和奇跡。下面是我喜歡的幾首他的詩。

    石 子

      火煉過水浸過
     雨打過風刮過
     這顆晶瑩渾圓的
     小石子
     此刻被放在
     陽光耀眼的路上
     靜靜等待
     一隻天真好玩的
     腳
     一路踢滾下去

呼 氣

這陣溫柔的風
想必來自
你一個甜蜜的歎息
此刻正誘使花們
紛紛吐露芳香
並激發一個幸福的微顫
在葉子同我身上
沙沙掠過

山

小時候
爬上又滑下的
父親的背
仍在那裡

仰之彌高 

最後最讓我感動的是以下一首詩“花開花落”，很是可愛而生動的……那第一部份，“花開”是詩人年青的和被喚醒的情感，第二個部份“花落”，我聽到他的歎息和痛憐……

       忘我
      毋忘我
      忘我
      毋忘我……

   在這裡引出困境: 忘我，毋忘我……很有趣地表達了無法抗拒的心情……愛是甜蜜著的苦痛……，毋忘我也可以是花的名字，非馬先生用了雙關的策略，給我們無限的想像和絕妙的感覺。

   這裡非常簡潔的字帶來深層的空間……
   他的最小量表現出更多隱涵的情感……

   人生太短，“到最後一瓣”是一個非常美麗的終止。非常動人的。它擦亮整個詩。哇!

   我還可以說什麼別的嗎? 透過對生活的反映、心的觸覺、一個美麗的想法和愛的感覺，我深深地被感動了，而且我更深刻地洞察生活。

   詩不是只為閱讀，而是為感受，他們是活著的，他們是意義深長而充滿顏色的。

    花開花落
    

 1. 花 開
      

     天空
    竟是這般

    遼闊

    驚喜的小花們

    爭著

    把每一片花瓣

    都伸展到

    極

    限

     2. 落 花

　

     没有一次
    我能平靜地

    聽你數

    忘我

    毋忘我

    忘我

    毋忘我…… 

    到最後一瓣

原載：北美楓《 酷我詩評》,2006.9.22