| Muses Review - Poetry - Fall 2005 |
| Back to: Poetry. |
| Rick Lupert's poetry: |
| Rick Lupert Poet from California |
| Visit: Rick Lupert's website www.poetrysuperhighway.com |
| The poems are copyrighted to Rick Lupert Poems are published in Muses Review with permission from the author. |
| Rate the poems of Rick Lupert: 5 = excellent 4 = very good 3 = satisfactory 2 = lacking depth 1 = never mind |
| Dear Los Angeles By Rick Lupert Source: To Hell With Rick Lupert,(2005),p.34-35 I'm writing to you from Venice Not your hippie laden Venice, child of the Santa Monica Bay, But Venice, Italy, where from my hotel first floor window, I can see the intersection of two canals one of which floats south under the Bridge of Sighs where once thieves and enemies of the empire would take their last glimpse of the blue Venice lagoon before heavy iron and stone became their eternal city I too have a last glimpse at this often stagnant water shared equally by motorized boats and historic ones powered by the girth of striped shirted men Los Angeles, the stars are quiet here unlike yours which make a sound the world can hear, even if you can't seem them at all. My wife is finishing up and soon we'll be on our way to you to risk another six months on your ground before the next big televised disaster Every city has its risks. Did you know Venice has been sinking for almost a millennia? We're getting out while we can Try to stay in one piece Everytime we mention you to anywhere else Their eyes glimmer with the picture of you covered with the Pacific It is almost time to go. We'd like the pre-order one of your famous Apple Pies. Your large plates with a mountain of potatoes. I have to close my suitcase now. ------------------ "Dear Los Angeles" by Rick Lupert Editor's Rating: 5 out of 5 laurels. ---------------------------- At the Arch of Constantine by Rick Lupert Source: To Hell With Rick Lupert, (2005), p.29 I thought of you while standing under Constantine's Arch The ancient Roman's saw you coming two thousand years in advance "Some day a man will come" they thought "whose words will charm even the Vestal Virgins" It's no wonder the Forum is surrounded by Greek columns The Christians tried down to pull down with rope and faith When they failed, they simply put crosses on top and called it a day I wonder if I tied a rope to your head would I end up with a new synagogue I stand under your Arch surrounded by white noise and you with the weight of the Empire wrapped around your head like leaves ------------------------------------- Copyright belongs to Rick Lupert Published in Muses Review with permission from the author. |
| Poetry Review by Andrew Angus Title of poem: "Dear Los Angeles" Source: To Hell With Rick Lupert (2005) Rating: 5 laurels out of 5 laurels. Rick's poem "Dear Los Angeles" is a letter in poetic form. The poem is about an American tourist writing to his home city or to a person named "Los Angeles". In his poem, the poet describes Venice, a city in Italy. Rick describes various places he visited in his e-chapbook, "To Hell With Rick Lupert", an electronic poem chapbook released in 2005. What does Venice look like? I have seen Venice in photos but I have never visited the place in real life. The poet describes Venice as having canals in his hotel first floor as follows: "I'm writing to you from Venice Not your hippie laden Venice, child of the Santa Monica Bay, But Venice, Italy, where from my hotel first floor window, I can see the intersection of two canals one of which floats south under the Bridge of Sighs where once thieves and enemies of the empire would take their last glimpse of the blue Venice lagoon before heavy iron and stone became their eternal city" The poet describes further that the canals are plied with motorboats and "historic ones". "I too have a last glimpse at this often stagnant water shared equally by motorized boats and historic ones powered by the girth of striped shirted men" The "historic ones" most likely refer to the long "gondolas" we see in travel catalogues. These "historic ones" are powered by the striped shirted men or the gondoliers. The poet gives us an impression, especially to those who have not visited Venice, as a place surrounded by waters or near a watery region. The poet compares Venice to Los Angeles. Venice is quiet while Los Angeles is a noisy city. In the next stanza, the "stars" is kind of a metaphor either referring to the distant stars in the sky or the movie celebrities. The stars in Venice are quiet. The stars in Los Angeles makes "a sound the world can hear". This phrase "the stars ...make a sound the world can hear" is a hyperbole but nevertheless, the phrase is true if we apply it to Los Angeles. A "hyperbole" is an overexaggerated expression. "Los Angeles, the stars are quiet here unlike yours which make a sound the world can hear, even if you can't seem them at all." The male character in the poem is aware of earthquake predictions in Los Angeles as the poem goes: "My wife is finishing up and soon we'll be on our way to you to risk another six months on your ground before the next big televised disaster" The poet reveals his ideas about cities: "Every city has its risks. Did you know Venice has been sinking for almost a millennia?" The risk of living in a city like Los Angeles is the earthquake. The risk of living in Venice is the water flooding or sinking the city little by little for millenia now. I wonder if urban engineers in Italy are aware of the poet's idea. The poet mentions that his fellow tourists are fascinated by his home city: "We're getting out while we can Try to stay in one piece Everytime we mention you to anywhere else Their eyes glimmer with the picture of you covered with the Pacific" Finally, the poet misses the food of his home city: "It is almost time to go. We'd like the pre-order one of your famous Apple Pies. Your large plates with a mountain of potatoes. I have to close my suitcase now." This poem caught my attention because I never thought of capturing my travels in poetic form. Furthermore, letter in poem form is not that popular among poets. The poem is nominated "Best Poem of Year 2005" for the "2nd Muses Prize - Poetry" for its excellent metaphor, excellent description of a place, good poetic technique (hyperbole) and its rare poetic structure- letter as poem form. |
| About Rick Lupert: Rick works as a music teacher and song leader at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge, Califoria. He is also the "Graphics-Media Specialist/Songleader" at the New JCC at Milken. He is also a freelance graphic and web-designer. He also organizes poetry readings. |
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