A Beggar's Loom

Gregory Pike is a sessional English instructor at the Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

This collection falls just short of brilliance. Many of the poems have
sections that are very strong, and many are conceptually superb, but as
a whole these poems are prone to worn phrases and unimaginative
juxtapositions. Many poems fall short of the expectations raised by
lofty allusions and historical references, and some appear to hide
behind names and dates.

More interesting poems like “A First-Time Home Owner Considers
Ridding the Basement of Spiders” redeem the collection. This poem
brings out the slight arachnophobia of a man in his basement who recalls
a scene from his childhood, then whirls back into the present to see
these arachnids anew: “Lord, how these carapaces shine in my gloved
hand!” Likewise, “J. W. Booth’s Last Letter from Zekiah Marsh,
c.1865” succeeds due to the simple and authentic tone of a man saying
goodbye: “I draw from this silence / what I want to say and these
words will have

to do.”

A Beggar’s Loom is worth picking up, but I think we can expect
Santateresa to produce even better work in the future.