This is a lyrical-epic poem in seven parts based on the ancient Greek myth of the poet-musician with magical-musical powers who descended to the underworld, tried to lead his love Eurydice back from the dead, but failed because he broke the injunction not to look back at her until they reached the upper world. Waterman, as Lady O, becomes the archtypical "Singer of History," a combination of psycho-history and muse voice: "poets are public people/ we make love to ourselves and each other/ with one hand/ and with our pens/ with the other." Waterman's words are meant to be whispered, she tells us, and she is quite right, these words hint of ancient secrets and dreams in their soft murmuring sounds. These songs of love have a hint of sadness, a moody angst, "the path must be trod and trod/ long past the answers." Includes bold red illustrations by Roberto Valenza, which fall just within the scope of abstraction--R.R. Lee Etzwiler
This review originally appeared in TapRoot Reviews #3,
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Copyright Burning Press 1993, 1995.