Duane Simolke's, Selected Poems, is an accumulation of thoughtful and moving poetry.
The first few poems "Chasing, Seagulls," "Home," "Album" are well-crafted ones that deal with love, sometimes unrequited, and relationships, mostly flawed, all painful.
These poems are followed by a diverse group of very thought-provoking and interesting verses that describe children as victims of war, the consequences of one's actions, the cutthroat business world, creativeness, chaos.
Then, Simolke deals with relationships/love using once again the theme of troubled love, this time with more maturity and growth. One poem called "Separated" is a very visual work using imagery of cliff and shore, to describe couples separated and calling out to each other unsuccessfully.
The next section of the book with a group of "Faces" poems shows the agony of AIDS. For anyone who has lost someone or knows someone who has lost loved ones to the ravages of this disease, these poems are a must read. Actually, they are a must read for anyone. The poems are beautifully crafted, lacking in anger, and totally compassionate to the victims of AIDS with the powerful theme that we must give the victims faces.
Following the Faces themes, are another diverse group of poems that deal with life and the true nature of human beings from a darker side. The last poem in this group deals with children of biracial parents, this one the child of a Vietnamese mother and a soldier.
Several poems dealing with being gay follow. They show the plight of young gays in the past and even today who use religion, therapy, whatever in denial of their homosexuality. These poems are perhaps the best in the book. They are descriptive and sad, but show sort of the middle of the gay experience. When one discovers his/her gayness but tries to deny and change because of parental and or societal pressure.
A group of dark poems follows, almost a coming of age period in the book. Simolke uses a romantic theme in one of them.
We come full circle at the end of the book with a poem called "Cycle." Also with poems that deal with family relations, with college, religion, injustice, accepting one's sexual orientation, parts of society accepting it, lots of rainbow imagery, and lots of religious references here and in the entire work.
I loved all the poems in Selected Poems, but my favorite is at the end, a poem called "Process." With the words: "Until I see writing and living as a single color." Great line. Great work.
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