THE ALLEGREZZA BENCH!

Poet-extraordinaire (and editor- and critic/scholar-extraordinaire as well) William Allegrezza is extraordinary for many poetic reasons.  For me, he's stellar in part because his poems are consistent in delivering an always highly-pleasurable read.  So go to that link-on-his-name and check out his work.  If you only have time today to check out one book (you should, of course, have more time tomorrow!), check out FRAGILE REPLACEMENTS (also published by the publisher of many mini-books here, Meritage Press). 

So, okay, that's an too-brief intro to moi pal Bill.  I am lucky to have his books in the home library, but also am delighted to have this rather mysterious concrete poetry set from him, to wit:

  

I'm not sure what the pieces are.  They look like elements from a children's toy.  Or some baking tool (now why do I say that when I wouldn't know? Anyhoo...) But what's significant are the writing on them.  These works are from a period of time -- though it wouldn't surprise me if it's still ongoing -- when Bill was trying to inscribe poetry on everything in the universe.  I do love poets with ambition!  Here's a detail:

 

... for a pattern to explain what, says the last line.  Mysterious but evocative such that one wants to speculate on what the line means, which is to say, inhabit the line -- ever a desired goal by poets.  So go ahead: inhabit and speculate!

Anyway, I've had these pieces on the bookshelf for years.  I didn't really know what to do with them except to shelve them in the poetry section of the library.  But with SitWithMoi, I now realize what they are.  Dear Readers, these elements form nothing less than -- drum roll please for the global introduction -- THE ALLEGREZZA BENCH (with side tables!).  Entonces:

Very kewl, yes?  The Poet With Chairs thinks so!  She tried it out and found it, indeed, a very congenial sitting experience! 

May we "shelve" a mini-book soon on THE ALLEGREZZA BENCH!

[Prov.: Gift from Poet-Furniture Maker Himself.  Scale: Bench: 6" width and 1" depth; circular side tables have 3" diameters]