Say What You Will
Some twinkles transcend the page; Len Krisak will stop at nothing to roll your eyes, jelly your belly, and lift your better spirits. With degrees from the University of Michigan and Brandeis University, Krisak spent thirty-five years teaching English before retiring to spin poetry and translate.
Lower Peninsula
Asked where I’m from,
I say Michigan made me
And touch the birthmark
Below the lifeline
Of my right hand.
Just here, under
The locked knuckles
Of the half-opened
Half-cupped fist—
A stiff mitten
The map won’t fit;
Just here,
Down at the heel
Of the Indian “how”
(A little above
And slightly ahead of
The place where the thickened
Wrist cuts
And twists west.)
And though the nuns said
“Thumbs up” in school,
I went ahead
Without a hitch,
And have only to put
My finger on it
To keep my place:
On almost-an-island,
Born with my life
In the palm of my hand.
Reviewed by
Matt Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
