Arrows of Desire

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

London, Ontario’s Michael Dennis has published 14 books since 1979. He may be an obscure veteran, as his bio suggests, but his book earns a blurb from Yann Martel, the acclaimed author of Life of Pi.

Dennis characterizes his verses as “lust poems.” He expresses erotic sentiments in an understated but raw manner. This book’s frankness extends to the raunchy illustrations by Eliza Griffiths.

The author titillates the sensualist and teases the intellectual. The poem “nighthawks after the diner” may remind students of American art history of Edward Hopper’s classic 1942 painting. His “Nighthawks” feature a couple in a lonely downtown diner. Dennis’s couple are “watching the last of the late show”; Hopper’s characters are unfamiliar with broadcast television. Perhaps the author was evoking wistful emotions or merely flashing his erudition.

Cultural impishness is less risky than historical insouciance. “like a cyclone” includes such phrases as “fire bombing their Dresden bed” and “they scream Hiroshima.” This boomer poet proves that he is not a member of “the Greatest Generation” that was shaped by those World War II traumas. Literary erotica and historical catastrophe are not meant to be partners.

Dennis is cultured, but he is no elitist. “parking” recalls an adolescent sexual encounterthat will appeal to both libidinous aesthetes and lustful louts. “The bridesmaid’s poem” humorously acknowledges the hazards of sex. When the protagonist has intercourse with a married bridesmaid, “her husband’s name cracked the silence,” conveying his transgressions in a most intimate manner.

The writer ends his work in a very original manner. His list of previous book titles is configured like it was one of his poems. This gimmick may not sell more books, but it reveals that the lively poet is also a clever promoter.