Some chapbooks are spontaneous overflows of unrestrained emotion. This is not one of them. "Dear Immovable" is refined pain and pleasure-extruded, formed and polished artwork, based on algorithms of experience and perception. The style is open, yet distilled. In this context, we are introduced to the loss of something very precious, and learn how our perceived attainments are only glimpses of enlightenment. We must have what we love, but that which we love is also unobtainable. In the poem "Sage," the poet spots an eagle while driving, only to watch it fly away, "like anything grasped." Most of the poems are brief, saying what needs to be said with precision, diving into philosophical waters quickly and expertly. A good example can be found in "I am smoke when I can be."
More often,The longest poem, "Dear Immovable Object," offers a Taoist viewpoint on a relationship, along with some resulting logical contradictions. We are presented with a paradox in the words "Dear Immovable," by giving a term of endearment to something totally unresponsive. The intent is to accept the immovability of the entity, yet by addressing him as "dear," there is the implication of stimulation towards movement. The struggle continues throughout the poem:
a small rock holds back a great wave...and goes on to present this mind-bending quandary:
the follower of the Way forgetsThis is really about the journey, but a journey where the road map is clearly printed and uncluttered with side streets, unless they are the ones we live on, lived in, or seek to find. It is an intriguing perspective, well-conceived by the poet, and one worth delving into, whether or not you've been there before.
- Britt Fleming