Cover Photograph by Geoffrey James
Here is a collection of brand-new poems composed during the last 365 days by Raymond Souster. It is interesting to note that while the collection is only 216 pages long, it consists of over 600 poems. That is not a misprint! Some of these poems are as short as a single line. Some poems are longer, by a line or two or three. Ray refers to these poems as 20-secong poems. While a handful of poems are quite lengthy – almost one page in length! – the majority have as many lines as the fingers on your hand! Here are poems about the seasons of the year, the brevity of life, the ever-presence of wickedness, the joy of being alive, and ever-watchful death. Here is one poem in its entirety. It is called "Code of Conduct." It goes like this: "Be generous / in your giving / and grateful / in your receiving." This is a generous book by a wonderful poet and his readers will be grateful to have it.
The Poet Raymond Souster is known as the Dean of Toronto Poets. He was born in the city’s West End in 1921 and despite his blindness he continues to write ceaselessly and with affection about life in his favourite city. In the 1950s, through his poetry, through his small-press activities, and through his Contact Poetry Reading Series, he encouraged the work of a younger generation of writers who respect him immensely. His latest publications from Battered Silicon Dispatch Box include three series of books of verse – Catching Up ... Up to Date ... Getting Ahead – as well as the brilliant study of war titled What Men Will Die For.
Other Books by Raymond Souster
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