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In Suffer for Supper, as usual James straddles a thick dark
line with his Haiku, sticking to one “rule,” while crushing others. Who rhymes
in Haiku? James does:
Gone without a trace//years later they find bodies//stuffed in a crawlspace. And
Dropping to all fours//I cannot resist the pull//when the moon is
full. Surely he’s a lunatic! But he sticks with the 5-7-5 syllabic format that’s
the skin of original Haiku—flayed skin these days—but still, that’s how
original Haiku was wrapped according to what I’ve read and heard.
So okay, we’ve got rhyming Haiku (which I’m absolutely fine
with, by the way), but James doesn’t stop there with his use of “no-nos.” He
throws in some enjambment, the use of which I’ve heard some purists frown upon in
poems that aren’t Haiku much less…Anyway, James employs enjambment as a tool to
maintain his 5-7-5 format: Starving for the pain//hungry for the hurt, I need//suffer
for supper. Digest that if you can.
Listen, James and I are brothers in darkness, so it should
be no surprise that Deadly devotion//a riptide of emotions//pulling me under and
A familiar trope//living without hope, dying//without a purpose are a couple of
my favorites in the Suffer for Supper volume. But I imagine that many in our world
of "nicey-nice" and fluff won’t appreciate fare such as, As I slice my wrist//I
let out a scream, sweet dreams//are not made of this. Leave it to James to throw
some pop music references into this revered genre collection— and that’s not the only one.
If you are looking for the proverbial light at the end of
the tunnel when you close the curtain…or perhaps I should write, slam the lid
of the coffin shut...on
Suffer for Supper and pick up
In a World of Hurt, you’ll
only find a dark red one glowing menacingly. How about this for a welcome mat:
A restless spirit//knocking, my heart, haunted house//boarded up, vacant? I hope
you brought a bottle of wine with you, something red and dark, with a heavy bouquet.
Our culture frowns, and I mean deeply, on doing away with oneself.
There is even a movement to soften how we talk about suicide (see
this article). I’m gratified that James does nothing to pretty up the
ugly truth of dire feelings, dropping the following on us: My blood, letting go//with relief comes
disbelief//no turning back now. I suspect that most who have tried death-by-sharp-object-against-throbbing-vein and didn’t quite succeed will shiver in
recognition at the above. And I bet you've noticed that James has not let up on
his rule-breaking in World of Hurt.
And oh, for those who are feeling the most poignant of
losses, he dishes up In the blue hour//my heart is full of empty//without you
and me. And The love of my life//speaking ill of me, sweet mouth//so wholly
corrupt…Just let that heart bleed.
And the final appetizer I’ll leave you with, is one that I read more as social commentary than personal pleadings of despair: Opening my
eyes//Pandora’s box of evil//truths, half truths and lies. We often prefer pretty lies than ugly truth. I'm sure someone has said and written that somewhere before. Can't remember who. Anyway....
No, James Bryant’s Dark Haiku series isn’t for those seeking
to smell the roses, those who are convinced that life is full of sunshine, gently
flowing streams, and blooming gardens. It is visceral, spilling desperate raw
emotion onto the landscape of our hidden world of hurt. But what else do you expect
from a genius who sees more as a blind man than most with sound eyesight?
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I’m talking about the “Filling the WELL: Poetry and Prose
of the Soul Fundraiser.” Presented by The
InkWELL, led by founder Dinahsta “Miss Kiane”
Thomas. Expected to feature are “teen poet, Lemonade
Dream, musical poet and Chicagoan, Donovan Lewis, world
traveler and author, Dr.
Cecelia S. Martin, and DMV food activist and poet, Liz Reitzig.” Thanks
Miss Kiane for creating this promising poetic experience and thank you Hiram
for pulling my coat to it. You can complete your free registration and find out
more about the event here.
