I don't know what to make of this. Let's call it a mash-up of William Carlos Williams, ee cummings and George Carlin.

This was another random poetry collection I pulled off the shelf. I just take what I get and don't look at it until I get home. This has resulted in a lot of interesting reads, many of which I have really liked and some, not so much. I have to admit many of the poems in this collection are just plain funny but kind of like Captain Underpants funny, not ee cummings funny.

I also did not realize the author is a local author from Grand Rapids, MI so the author mentions places that I know here in my hometown both in his poetry and in the “about the author” blurb at the back of the book.

Here is a poem entitled Dad, something I know a bit about:

DAD

at the same time, there is a desire to share your prayers with
another human creature

"we will make it to the top of hogsback mountain because you have
nourished us with your many free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
dad."

sometimes we would both wake really early.

"your toothbrush is not the toothbrush that I would choose, but there
it is sitting by the sink, ready to help you start your day."

I was going to go out west, you were going to "hold down the fort"
beside lake michigan,

a cassette tape of herb alpert and the tijuana brass can hold a family
together or just wait patiently inside a silver van.

your slippers on linoleum were like the puma I never saw lurking
beside me in the dessert.

sometimes you put your faith in neck warmers, kielbasa, and the
baltimore orioles all at once!

i fixed my flat tire all by myself today and it hurt my head to let
that happen.

you were always exercising in the basement with no lights on.

There are other poems with titles such as, "Bill's Twill Pants", "Various Famous Half-Consumed Throat Lozenges Glowing Weirdly in a Smelly Old Collecting Jar" and "My Version of Awesome Karate is Just Eating Popcorn Alone in a Sewer with My Dad's Old Catcher's Mitt for a Bowl". Yes, those are the titles of the poems and not stanzas from the poems.

Is it okay that poetry be funny? The whole book is like this. I find it hard to take seriously as poetry myself but perhaps others have different thoughts on this. Clearly ee cummings is well known as a poet that also adds humor to his poetry and there is also Shel Silverstein but there is also this tendency to think of them as poets for children. I remember my introduction to ee cummings being very early and his poetry was presented to us as something our teacher knew we would like with the idea that it would lead us to seeking out other poets.

So, by goodreads standards I am giving this 4 stars which is good. It didn't blow my mind with excitement but it also wasn't terrible and I appreciated the humor but it just isn't a poetry book for me. ( )