Poetry and the Body

First off, I’d like to thank Ilya Kaminsky and Tatyana Mishel for inviting me to be a guest poetry editor for this issue of In Posse Review. When we put out the call for submissions on the theme of “Poetry and the Body,” I really had no idea what to expect. I am delighted to say our poets responded by considering the topic both deeply and widely. Thank you to all you who sent in poems for me to read. It was a revealing “lyric investigation.”

The poems I have chosen sorted themselves under several themes:

Exploring the body at our most creaturely life moment, there are poems from both men and women about Birthing the Body.

There were, not surprisingly, a number of wonderful poems about specific body parts, especially hands, feet, breasts, and eyes. We are more than the sum of our parts, ਀戀甀琀 眀攀 愀爀攀 愀氀猀漀 甀氀琀椀洀愀琀攀氀礀 戀攀栀漀氀搀攀渀 琀漀 琀栀攀洀⸀ 吀栀攀猀攀 愀爀攀 最爀漀甀瀀攀搀 甀渀搀攀爀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䤀倀刀开䈀漀搀礀吀伀䌀⸀栀琀洀⌀倀愀爀琀猀∀㸀倀愀爀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䈀漀搀礀㰀⼀愀㸀 眀栀椀挀栀 椀渀挀氀甀搀攀 倀愀爀琀猀 漀昀 匀瀀攀攀挀栀⸀ 㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀䰀漀漀欀椀渀最 愀琀 琀栀攀 戀漀搀礀 愀琀 椀琀猀 洀漀猀琀 瘀甀氀渀攀爀愀戀氀攀Ⰰ 眀攀 栀愀瘀攀 瀀漀攀洀猀 漀昀 猀椀挀欀渀攀猀猀 愀渀搀 搀椀猀琀爀攀猀猀Ⰰ 爀攀挀漀瘀攀爀礀 愀渀搀 栀攀愀氀椀渀最 椀渀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䤀倀刀开䈀漀搀礀吀伀䌀⸀栀琀洀⌀䴀攀搀椀挀愀氀∀㸀吀栀攀 䴀攀搀椀挀愀氀 䈀漀搀礀㰀⼀愀㸀㬀 愀猀 眀攀氀氀 愀猀 瀀漀攀洀猀 攀砀瀀氀漀爀椀渀最 氀漀瘀攀Ⰰ  passion and eros in The Erotic Body.

Perhaps related to our current political climate, there were a significant number of ਀瀀漀攀洀猀 搀攀瀀椀挀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀 戀漀搀礀 愀琀 眀愀爀Ⰰ 攀椀琀栀攀爀 昀爀漀洀 猀漀挀椀愀氀 漀爀 瀀漀氀椀琀椀挀愀氀 漀瀀瀀爀攀猀猀椀漀渀Ⰰ 漀爀 漀瀀瀀爀攀猀猀椀漀渀 昀爀漀洀 眀椀琀栀椀渀⸀  These are collected in The Political Body.

Finally, there were many poems exploring the body through its counterpart in an abiding spirit. ਀䤀渀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䤀倀刀开䈀漀搀礀吀伀䌀⸀栀琀洀⌀匀漀甀氀∀㸀䈀漀搀礀 ☀ 匀漀甀氀㰀⼀愀㸀 礀漀甀 眀椀氀氀 昀椀渀搀 瀀漀攀洀猀 琀栀愀琀 椀渀挀氀甀搀攀 愀 洀愀渀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀椀渀最 琀栀攀 戀漀愀琀  of his deceased soldier-son, as well as a lovely sonnet cycle addressing the idea of sin and artistic form.

I hope you will enjoy the range and tone of these many fine poems.