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Michael Broder reads from This Life Now

Michael Broder is a Latin scholar, educator, publisher, supporter of poets and their work, an HIV survivor (since 1991) and a poet too who writes frank poems about himself. This Life Now, published in 2014—Mr. Broder’s first—is very much worth a relook; it’s one of those little big books. Desire, destructive and creative, the kismet found in cruising, life in the time of AIDS, childhood and the paths that get us to who we are (and always were) are all present. “It’s often X-rated!” some might insist, but I’d suggest they open This Life Now again and savor that the truth is always there to set you free. The poem below, the first in the book, offers an initial look that is beautiful, I think, and heartfelt.

Variations

A few words go a long way between us;
as they must, since not much time
remains for more than this.

I saw you standing on the fire escape,
arms spread wide to catch the setting sun,
head tossed back, shoulders
flirting with the shadows,

as if you could elude the waning day,
or time and again could become one,
or time could stand still between lovers,
not knowing what tomorrow brings.

nor caring where yesterday we walked,
like phrases, not quite nonsense,
but with a logic and connection
not at all designed until they meet

in composition, improvised, like a blues—
no melody planned, but only trusting
our sense of intervals.

Michael runs a small press, by the way, called Indolent Books that publishes authors who are themselves a little indolent, reluctant to get themselves published until Michael gives them a push. You can check out Indolent Books here:

http://www.indolentbooks.com/

http://www.facebook.com/indolentbooks/

This Life Now is published by A Midsummer Night’s Press. You can check it and them out here:

http://amidsummernightspress.com/WP/

http://www.facebook.com/AMidsummerNightsPress


Review of This Life Now by Jerome Ellison Murphy:

http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews/07/02/this-life-now-by-michael-broder/

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