Intimations of a Realm in Jeopardy

Ronald Charles Epstein is a Toronto-based freelance writer and published poet.

T.S. Eliot conveyed an educated sense of cosmic disillusion in The Waste
Land. Quebec film director Denys Arcand explored the concept of
decadence in The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian
Invasions. Montreal poet Norm Sibum applies these concepts to our
society in this volume of eclectic verse.

Sibum’s ability to combine the classical with pop culture is such
that one needs to approach his text with an intellect that is as
manoeuvrable as a classic sports car. An example of such a poetic shift
can be found in “Lariana’s Eyes,” which links the American Civil
War and major league baseball: “Lee on Traveller / Haunts Appomattox
country / While the Yankees play in the Bronx.”

The poet argues with the “Bird with Yellow Plumes.” That creature
refuses to “simply whistle / Like any self-respecting bird,” but
rests on “the balcony / Holding forth.” When he denounces it as a
smug reactionary that slights the picaresque and sneers at his poems, it
becomes clear that he is addressing his critics.

This collection’s ideal reader is the person whose life exceeds the
recommended daily dose of decadence.