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Thinking of Math and Her (poems), 2005Review of Thinking of Math and Her by Laurel Johnson of Midwest Book Review Thinking of Math and Her by Alexander Shaumyan ISBN 1-5916-875-5 105 pages at 12.00 paperback, which includes s and h www.geocities.com/ashaumyan or alex@shaumyan.com for orders This is the seventh book I've read and reviewed by Alexander Shaumyan. This one has a different ring because Shaumyan -- multilingual poet, master of mathematical theorem, scholar, artist -- is in love. That is not to say his political commentaries have ended. He still observes the world with a keen eye and records his findings. He's still the universal soul searching for truth and justice, but everything has slightly dimmed and softened this time in comparison to love. He lays love's groundwork beautifully, progressing from a broken heart to hopeful lover. "On a Poet's Tombstone" is his quiet introduction: He left the solace of a womb -- A healer with a gentle verse -- His dreams have led him to his tomb, A broken heart, an empty purse. In this excerpt from "Tears" the poet finds a shred of hope: Carry me off to a place Where hunger and passion Can never be satisfied. And then he explains his hopes, his needs in this excerpt from "I Need a Friend": I need a friend with faith in love and dreams, Who does not look for momentary wins, Who looks beyond the losses and the gains, Who sees me through my setbacks to the end. Whether I win or lose, I need a friend With faith in me. In "A Disclosure", he dreams of chivalry and grace, and prays the days of romance are not dead: Oh how I desire To be completely free And find that something higher When you're close to me. In English, French, Scandinavian, German, and Russian -- with translations -- Shaumyan declares his love for Teresa. But sprinkled throughout his declarations of love are gems of political cynicism. In "The World's Asleep. There is a War That's Raging", I found this small, amazing excerpt: The hate you sow today's the hate you reap From someone's bullet or a bomb tomorrow. "She Drifts in a Vacuum" is a scathing revelation of America's politics today, a world view of chilling proportions. Due to space limitations, I quote only an excerpt: ....an ancient country, once seen as the cradle of civilization, now reduced to rubble and ashes to be reconstructed into a makeshift mockery of a democracy with a puppet regime, that allows full access and control of its resources, revised and edited as the liberation of the people. Shaumyan's international following will not be disappointed in his seventh book. Being in love has reshaped his heart, perhaps, but not his unflinching view of a greed driven world. I'm certain that Alexander Shaumyan will continue to: Rage on until the bitter end With tenderness and grace. Laurel Johnson Midwest Book Review |
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