Collected Poems. Robin Ouzman Hislop's poems cultivate a relationship between mind body, ecological and experimental work.
Excerpt
In this poetry collection, the poet comes remarkably close to creating a masterpiece. The poems resonate with impressive creative energy, reflecting a deep appreciation for the Romantic tradition and its emphasis on imagination. What emerges is poetry rich in feeling and vision, marked by spontaneity and a powerful outpouring of the self—qualities that give these poems their distinctive and enduring appeal.
Professional Reviews Review Rhythms of Existence by EM Schorb
Rhythms of Existence by Robin Ouzman Hislop is a Platonic rather than an Aristotelian work. Materialists are hereby invited to leave by the back door. The poet is confabulating with Blake. As Mrs. Blake used to tell visitors, “Mr Blake is in paradise with Mr. Hislop and cannot be disturbed. They are discussing the finite particles captured by the several winds.” The audience stands agape, locked in their armor.
The world Mr. Hislop brings us is of all worlds most interesting, although missed by most whose lives are sadly occupied with potatoes and rubber tires. His inner life is that of a poet, perhaps a great one. X is what he is looking for and he almost always finds it and presents it to his readers. A tree becomes more than a natural thing—like Van Gogh’s cypresses, the tree becomes multifarious; it flies apart in meanings in the winds of thought. Oh, what power to perceive beyond the curtain of reality. Therefore, it should go without saying that Mr. Hislop is sensitive to the nth degree and must suffer from the rhythms of existence while simultaneously loving them. I can only wish that more people were like him, dancing to the rhythms of existence. Rhythms of Existence is not only a great book of poetry—I wish it were a copybook for all. Interpreting his language, we should see with his mind and think with Plato and Mr. Hislop who understand life more profoundly. Mr. Hislop shows that there is hope for us all. www.emschorb.com
Rhythms of Existence Reviewd by Michael R Burch
Rhythms of Existence
by Robin Ouzman Hislop
reviewed by Michael R. Burch
Rhythms of Existence by Robin Ouzman Hislop is an eclectic collection of poems with a lot to like.
The first poem is haiku-like.
The third poem is untitled and is labeled simply:
/Unfinished poem/
Few poets would publish an unfinished poem on the first few pages of a collection. One quickly gets the feeling that Hislop is “winging it” – but why not? After all that’s what Mark Twain did with his much larger autobiography, which is a pleasure to read for all its meanderingness, if that’s a word.
One of my favorite poems in this collection is “Helen” with the lines “a fate that drowned / the heart of the world.” Good poets can make us see a familiar figure in a new light. Here, I found a new appreciation for the unique circumstances of Helen of Troy.
I also particularly like “Signatura Rerum” with the opening lines:
mother milk mortal moon
pearl of my heart inscribed
entangled in your womb
We are definitely hearing a unique voice – that of a poet who sees things apart from the norm and is able to make us see what he’s seeing, feel something of what he’s feeling.
Hislop has a nice touch with evocative imagery: for instance, a “glittering sea” with “white foam breaking chiffon on the rocks.”
In “Rooftops” there are “skeletal TV ariels” and we seem to pick up scattered transmissions – little snatches from poems, movies and songs:
Last Tango in Paris
the rest is silence
til all the seas gang dry
and the rocks melt in the sun
Grishkin is a marionette
in the noonday sun
have you ever seen the rain
I don’t want to give away too many of Hisplop’s best lines, but hopefully I’ve whetted your appetite for more.
