On Page 42: War of the Foxes
[War of the Foxes by Richard Siken, Copper Canyon Press, 2015 paperback. Pg 41-42]
The poem, “Glue” falls much of the way through Richard Siken’s collection, War of the Foxes. The collection waxes philosophical with the imagery of painting. Each poem stands alone while building on the previous material. “Glue” uses colons and repetition to comment on perspective. The colon’s effect in “Glue” is a sort of call and response: “The knot of the self: take it out. The knot of the self:/ What is the rope?” The narrative states something and the inner dialogue of the speakers answers to clarify it. Its like the brain figuring out a problem. The exchanges often confirm the narrative perspective, such as: Nothing lasts forever: we know this. Looking changes the looker: we know this. Its easier to talk about one thing at a time: I know, I know. The speaker holds on to what it thinks “we know.” This dialogue is usually accompanied by repetition adding to the poem’s rhythm. When we focus on the repetition, the path gets muddier. In the rhythmic call and response dialogue repetition is an affirmation of perspective, but outside of that there is a repetition of contrast: Sometimes The wing of the bird and sometimes the bird trying to fly. The statement parallels context: “sometimes the wing” and also “sometimes the bird.” It asks us to pay attention to separate subjects that have a direct relationship. This continues in lines like: “Where the thought wants to go and where you want it to go.” Same words leading to different places compared to the dialogues same words leading to the same place. This clash between affirming dialogue and contrasting repetition illustrates the struggle in not only seeing other perspectives, but accepting them as well. “Glue” is a good example of the intentionality Richard Siken employs in his craft. “Broadcast from a smeary place:
you are responsible.”