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In Love's Shadow  by Jay Black.
Jay Black, 4063 33rd Avenue West Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6N 2H9 $5.00 (CDN) plus $1.00 postage, or £3.00, postage included, to be sent as post office money order only.


Canadian, Jay Black's In Love's Shadow is in the courtly love tradition, though with a difference. The sequence of poems has a seductive, lyrical quality and a formal, slightly old-fashioned air, which segues into sharp imagery, 'And in the lambent flitter / of vanilla candle-light, / dim among the balmy walls / of my rosewood den, / you reclined, eyes closed, / bare feet up on the love seat...' This lush romantic imagery contains the down-to-earth picture '...the subtle red luster / reflected from your / sangria colored toenails.'  The sequence forms a narrative where the poet is like a worshipping courtly lover and there is touching intensity of feeling here, but gradually prevails against another, unseen partner, who is neglecting the object of his desire.  The lyrical and adoring quality is illustrated in genevieve, 'you are the kiss of winter's / first snow upon the fallow field // you are fallen yellow leaves / carried on quiet streams of tears // you are evening breeze / whispering disconsolate dreams...' and with more resonance: 'It's the pucker in your tight's / toe at day's end..., your occasional too sleepy kiss goodnight, / and the way you steal the covers after / saying you'd shut the bedroom window. // May my own eyes never / be too lazy to overlook / your beautiful imperfections'.  It is uncertain whether the consummation of this youthful and idealistic love or the relationship developing is fantasy.   The poet, in a note, told me that it is about selfish passion, but viewed non-judgementally. There is, actually, mention of 'adulterous lust' and 'in what wickedness / we'd risk our severed souls' but the poems transcend any such observations and the reader can be left to decide and reflect whether 'so our children's future / may outlast our fallen dreams' is the outcome of this relationship, a fantasy or that it simply doesn't matter. Some first editions available: first come, first served.