Poems of Survival, by Marc Widershien
Poplar Editions, P.O. BOX 57, Boston, MA 02131
$9.00

Marc Widershien and I have had a long association. First introduced by Cynthia Brackett Vincent, the publisher of the Aurorean in the late 90s, I had the privilege to publish Widershien's lyrical memoir of Boston, “The Life of All Worlds” in 2001. Since then, Widershien has revived his poetry career and is a well-known, working poet in the Boston-area. Poplar Editions has released his poetry collection: Poems of Survival. And indeed, if you know Widershien, you know he is a survivor. And he has survived to grace us with his evocative, and sometimes stunning collection of poetry. In all of Widershien's poems there is a strong sense of musicality. So it is no wonder that we learn in the introduction written by the composer Aaron Blumenfeld, that he has set more than a few of Widershien's poems to music. The composer writes of Widershien's work:

"His poetry evokes the incredible futility and powerlessness of individual human beings, dreams and aspirations against the inexorable passage of time and the immensity and power of the universe. . . . Marc's poetry reminds me of a question my father once asked me after we listened to a piece of symphonic music together. He asked, ‘What does it mean? That is why I greatly appreciate Marc's poetry . . . because his poetry shares that trait with music."

Widershien's poetry explores the classic ontological themes of the passage of time, etc. . . . through his astute observations of nature, and all the players on its stage. In “Walden III” Widershien is a modern day Thoreau devotee, observing the organism of nature and its inevitable cycles at Walden Pond in Concord, Mass:

The ripples below me are driven
toward the shore's body.
Once again, I find myself in this ecology's
giant organism.

Hieroglyphs sketched by wind
on white birch, mushrooms sucking life
out of dead barks,
honeysuckle
—how the earth sustains its parasites.
The floaters bob in the Pond
dividing child from adult,
the shallow from the deep waters
yellowed with urine.

yet-life's cycling story book
drives endlessly
—on.

In the brilliant poem “Cutting the Air Way,” Widershien imagines “ancient birds,” on the Boston Common, and their deity, an old woman who feeds them religiously:

those ancient birds those ancestral voices
squabbling for the squatter's rights to a lamppost
tell the tale of the tribe as well as any rhapsode—
fluid continuous diagonals of flocks carving
out boundaries obscure to man. . . .

They wait for the old woman
dragging a garbage bag filled with feed
who comes to the park every day
she is the goddess of Boston Common,
a sister to their metaphysical flights.

Widershien offers us an arresting portrait of what at first sight is a very pedestrian scene.

Poems of Survival is a great read.

Doug Holder. The Cafe Review

"Marc Widershien's Poems of Survival is the work of an accomplished poet with a musical ear, a keen eye and a strong sense of place.  The language reaches for the intangible qualities of things.  Many vivid phrases and passages and scenes burn themselves into the mind with the clarity of one's own memories.  There is an underling mysticism that backlights the scenes, with Blake a constant presence.  Like Blake, Widershien feels the cosmic wrongness of military-industrial civilization, with its threat of nuclear apocalypse which makes these poems conscious that their "survival" may be an ephemeral gesture.  The poignancy and urgency of these poems comes from a heightened sense of living in the present, with the knowledge that the present may be all that we have."

Esther Cameron, Editor The Neovictorian/Cochlea

"Marc Widershien's poems provide enrichment.  The language is sheer music, and the images captivating. His work contains beautiful descriptions, and an acceptance of our helplessness at times. He raises more questions than he answers. What more should we expect from fine art?"

Freddie Frankel, poet

"In this interesting collection, Widershien shares poems that are at once personal and more widely political. The title, Poems of Survival, taken in the context of the included work within, lends the collection an importance for each of us as we live in the modern world. Poems including Widershien's "1984" and "For the Veterans" are both strong poems to this end. Others, like "Lost on the Island" seem simple yet suggest more critical meaning with beautiful description, careful meter, and strong use of poetic knowledge. A section of "Lost on the Island" reads: "Above the hollering wind/the mind flies toward/a high sky of stars and madrigals,//no longer an accompaniment to the firelies and fireworks--the cheap suburban paradise/that dresses Montauk Highway."

Another thing that sets this collection apart is the inclusion of sheet music. The music, composed by Aaron Blumenfeld, was written specifically for Widershien's work. Though I do not have the musical talent to play out the included bars, the music creates and interesting look for the entire collection as it sits across the page from the poem it sets to music.The poems were obviously chosen carefully; they reflect many similar characteristics, while also providing variety in forms and subject matter. Finally, I found the graphed in utero-baby on the black cover creepily interesting. Overall, this is a strong collection. Perfect binding, book size, 47 pages. 10.00 ISBN 0-9770427-0-7.

The Blind Man's Rainbow

On a rainy and mild afternoon, Roslindale author Marc Widershien recited poetry from his latest book Poems of Survival released through his new publishing firm Poplar Editions, which will amplify the literary voices within the local and senior communities in future projects...."Poems of Survival is about how the individual survives creatively and emotionally against the power of the state.  It is a book of observations on modern society--its hopes, risks and dangers," Widershien said on Saturday at the Boson Public Library....Subjects that featured prominently in Widershien's selections included poems on the immigrant experiences, Quincy Market and Ellis Island....Beyond his poetry, Widershien spoke extensively on Poplar Editions' plans...."After over 44 years of writing and publishing, you get to know the ins and outs of the industry," he said. "We're not trying to create bestsellers, but snowballs. That means 10 years from now people will be reading and buying our books."

Jordan Rich of WBZ radio said "Marc's done it again. He's written some of his very best." Richard occasionally invites Widershien to co-host his program which often focuses on the literary world. Any time I can promote the art of writing I'm there," he said. Also at the event serving as videographer was Peter Bates, the graphic designer of Poems of Survival. "The poetry is quite poignant. It takes a moral and humanistic stance on issues like the Holocaust.  There are some great character studies. Some of the poems have been set to music by professional composers. We've included notes that give it a graphical appeal...."  Nathalie Jean, West Roxbury Transcript, January 19, 2006