Jon Davis (2)

'Preliminary Report ' by Jon Davis. Copper Canyon Press 2010

'Preliminary Report' is a selection of poems published during 1995-2010, Tho only 89 pages it is a rich volume, varied in style and content. 'Prayer to the God of War' is a stunning litany.

The book begins with 'An Introduction To Tonight's Performance,' which sets the stage for the poems that follow. Wonderful family portraits, and glimpses of autobiography lead to 'Preliminary Report From the Committee on Appropriate Postures For show more the Suffering.' This is an amazingly succinct encapsulation of civic responsibility.

There are links and contrasts : 'The Horse, Susan said' and 'Loving Horses' (with its wonderful
'Dad, why do you turn everything into a lecture? The poem is about horses and horses are about themselves.') are a pair. 'The Pot Spinners' is a self-contained ironic history
lesson.

'Seriousness,' the book's final poem, is a biography. Only three pages of widely spaced lines, it merits rereading: with pauses. We stop to wonder 'How would my life parse out?' We thank Jon Davis for setting us this puzzle. show less