Poets and Poems: Hedy Habra and “Or Did You Ever See the Other Side?”

“Or” is a curious, and unexpected, word to begin a title of a poetry collection. It’s more unexpected to begin each of the 67 poems in that collection with the word “Or.” Or maybe it isn’t. 

Curious and unexpected or not, that’s what poet, author, and essayist Hedy Habra does in Or Did You Ever See the Other Side?, her most recent collection of poetry. What happens is that each title suggests it’s an alternative to the original – an alternative title, an alternative theme or idea, or a different approach, description, or telling. As I began to guess an “original” title for each one I read, a rather fun exercise in and of itself, I began to understand what she’s doing here. 

To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry.

Some Tuesday Readings

 

“To Autumn,” poem by John Keats – Joseph Bottum at Poems Ancient and Modern.

 

The Fogs & Smog of Old London – Spitalfields Life.

 

“Look Up,” a poem inspired by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn – T.M. Moore at the Society of Classical Poets.

 

Poetry Prompt: Aisling – Vision or Dream – Tweetspeak Poetry.

 

A Ritual to Read to Each Other – poem by William Stafford at Every Day Poems.