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Living Section of the San Bernardino SUN April 18, 2004 Issue 
Ghost Orchid Poems by Maurya Simon Red Hen Press, 2004  Poetry as Elusive and Rare as the Ghost Orchid
Poetry is the nemesis of many a mind obsessed with exactness and clarity. With its unusual vocabulary, nebulous metaphors, metaphysical meanings and subtexts, imagination and numerous styles and forms, poetry trips all those who prefer precision in every aspect of life. As a result, very few sit down to read a book of poetry in the same manner as they would read a novel or a biography. Many students dread poetry assignments. Yet, open mic poetry readings are all the rage in the U.S. today, especially amongst teens (witness the open mic poetry readings for teens at Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino). And readings from published books of poetry by their authors draw large crowds. Perhaps this is because by hearing a poem out loud one can understand better all its hidden nuances. We will have the opportunity and privilege to hear Maurya Simon, one of the finest contemporary American poets, read from her new book of poetry "Ghost Orchid" on Sunday, April 25th at 1:00 p.m. at FLOODWAY, an independent bookstore loaded with the bookish charms of a bygone era (24818 Redlands Boulevard, Loma Linda). Maurya Simon currently teaches creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. Her first book, "The Enchanted Room" was published in 1986. She has received numerous awards, amongst them - a 1999-2000 NEH Poetry Fellowship, the Wagner and Medwick Memorial Awards from the Poetry Society of America and a Fulbright Indo-American Fellowship. "Ghost Orchid" is a spiritual book touching on a wide range of religious themes expressed at times with language hinting of the sensual. The ghost orchid is a rare, mysterious and fabled flower popularized recently by the best selling book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orleans and the film "Adaptation" based on the book. Its leafless stem is invisible giving the white spindly petals of the bloom the appearance of being suspended in the air. Perhaps Simon has named her poetry book "Ghost Orchid" to suggest that the themes she explores in her poems are as elusive as this rare flower. The ghost orchid unites all the poems, which are separated and clustered around sub-themes with narrower focus - "Between Heaven and Earth," "Angels of Mercy," "Lucifer in Starlight," "The Soloist" and "Unfinished Psalms." The poems, full of doubts, probe and search the metaphysical world for God and for the difference between good and evil. "So, I ask you, where does it dwell, this thing called soul, this mirage I feel pricking my nerves with gall," Simon asks in the poem "All Souls' Day." "My soul, my perplexed spirit, keeps its vigil all night, awaiting a sign, like a ship that can never dock," she concludes in the poem's last stanza. These are not happy poems. They send off whiffs of melancholy provoking us to also search our own souls and minds for those elusive spiritual elements that torment us in our private moments of isolation. But they are also beautiful poems that challenge us to reflect upon the deeper meanings of life. In comparison to all the plastic-like joviality that surrounds us today, Simon's poetry is refreshing, reassuring us that not everyone is shallow. Ophelia Georgiev Roop Library Director San Bernardino Public Library |
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