Poets and Poems: Aaron Belz and “Soft Launch”

Poet Rae Armantrout calls fellow poet Aaron Belz the “Comic of the Apocalypse.” After reading his new collection Soft Launch: Poems, I discovered that she was right, but not entirely right. Yes, there is a strong sense of comedy in his poems, evoking smiles, grins, and the occasional out-loud laugh. And yes, some of the poems are about the Apocalypse. But take a plunge below the surface, and you find something else.

Take this poem, for example, “The Importance of Self Care During the Apocalypse.” It has comedy. It’s about the Apocalypse. But it’s also telling us, whether we confront the crackup of Western civilization, imminent climate disaster, or the complete breakdown of political and civil discourse, we should always remember to take a deep breath.

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

Poets and Poems: Aaron Belz and “Glitter Bomb”

When you have your first child, you do what all first-time parents do: you make a will. When our oldest was born, we found ourselves an attorney and made a will. I remember the meeting where we signed the wills; our son was perfectly content to set in my lap or my wife’s lap and make rude noises. The attorney understood; he had children of his own, including a 9- or 10-year-old son named Aaron.

 

The attorney’s son would grow up to become a poet, Aaron Belz. He’s now published his third collection of poetry, Glitter Bomb.

I may have just found a new favorite poet.

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