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• MT CERES

  Genre - Poetry Literary Style - Beat, post-modern, retrospective on life What an absolute privilege to read this body of poems from Jonathan Bancke. Evocative of Beat poets in terms of tone and depth, but rather than be a poetic vision of an external environment under the pressures of capitalism, the poet transports us to an inner retrospective of his own healing journey, the depths, and peaks he endures as he, his spirit, and his soul continue on their path. Perhaps not under the onslaught of capitalism, but make no mistake, this is a man beleaguered and at war with himself. Personally, I thought there were some real gems of perfection in here, where it encapsulates the battle lines and the poet illustrates the man, and the soul. It shows the spirit and the battle for a harmonious relationship between the three, namely, 'Flowing the Passage', 'That Night', and 'The Queen' as for imagery rhythm, and raw honesty around addiction. I've gone back and read the 'Flowing the Passage' several times as the imagery is sublime, likewise, this is captured in the movement, closeness, and 'door-opening-moment' the poet creates in 'See the Light' , which is a really moving piece. I like the use of the motif of The Tower in a number of the poems, it reminds me of the sudden strike of Fate and the Lightning Struck Tower (or the house of god) from the tarot. I kept envisioning Patti Smith or Jim Morrison singing or speaking these words; it is a real bluesy, soulful feel to the narrative, especially, 'Fight On'. Some of the poems have a petitioning, prayer-like undertone which made me think of the cadence that Smith and Morrison use, but rather than veer toward the religious, it works in a Postmodern way by the use of self-reference, and the rejection of a stable identity and binary opposites. There is no black and white in this body of work, rather, it contains all the shadow and shade of human existence, and in this respect I feel the work has a justifiably 'Beat' vibe that I personally felt and enjoyed when I read Poems from Within, Life Within. All in all, if Bancke is reading near you, I for one wouldn't miss it.

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