Teeth, untucked - Nicholas Papaxanthos

Today's book of poetry:  Teeth, untucked.  Nicholas Papaxanthos.  Proper Tales Press.  Cobourg, Ontario.  2011.

Dog's Ode to a Dead Starfish

O!
Dead Starfish!

All dried up
and crumbly

like an extravagant
biscuit

...

He's here!  A Canadian Brautigan.  Ok, he grew up in Lefko, Cyprus, but Nicholas Papaxanthos was born in Vancouver and has returned to the country of his birth.  Those of us who love poetry will be happy he's back.

Snug Survival

If
without
socks

take
a snake

slit it
open

slip it
on

...

Papaxanthos is delightfully dark and has mastered that nebulous area between reality and surrealism, the world of what we imagine while exploring what is.

This tidy little chapbook published  by the ever industrious Stuart Ross and his iconic Proper Tales Press (formerly of Toronto, now out of Cobourg).  Aside from being a great poet himself, Ross has championed the work of many - Ron Padgett, Nelson Ball and Tom Walmsley to name but a few.  Ross has an astute eye and continues his excellent mentoring with this offering from Nicholas Papaxanthos.

Hopefully Papaxanthos' first offering Teeth, untucked is just the first volume in a large canon.




propertalespress@gmail.com