Poems for Young and Older- Review 1

December 2021 Literature

As ESRA Magazine quite often publishes poems, I take for granted that readers are not scared, not dismissive, not ignorant of poetry. They will find that the poems of the 2021 Voices Israel Anthology are approachable, interesting and enjoyable. Each has a strong emotional appeal.

The book has three sections: the Anthology itself; the Bar Sagi Prize; and the Reuben Rose Competition.

The Bar Sagi Prize section has a short introduction explaining the origin of the prize.

If you have English-speaking children or grandchildren, introduce them to the poems in English of writers aged 12 to 19. Each poem has its personal point of view. Topics cover friendship, love, success, failure, the challenges of growing up, and the present state of the world. The poets are down-to-earth, critical of certain situations, open about their responses, and can smile at their own foibles – a perfect present for your family's young people.

The fine poems of the Reuben Rose Competition speak for themselves. Many of the writers appear also in the Anthology section, where you find poets from Israel, Australia, the USA, Italy, Canada and the UK. The Voices Anthology is, every year, an international publication.

The subjects of the Anthology section move seamlessly from the corona virus to the Holocaust, the passing of time, love, friends and family, objects owned, loss, foreign visits, animals and the weather. We meet both familiar and novel types and situations.

In my pedestrian way, I usually read a collection of poems in order, from beginning to end. If you like to open a book and pause at random, watch out for Dina Yehuda's "Because He Walked Down that Aisle", Judith Robinson's "Forgive Her",

Sandra Braude's "The Cat with Topaz Eyes," Mark L. Levinson's "Miniatures" with its final ambiguity, and Celia Merlin's "Valentine Tulips". As there is an excellent list of poets for the Anthology, and separate lists for the other two sections, you will be able easily to find the poets you particularly appreciate.

I have one query: Other than Elana Dorfman's "Sharks and Other Dangers", with its wonderful last line, where's the humor? Can good poems not be light-hearted? I found I had to turn to the Bar Sagi writers for some fun.

In ESRA Magazine # 210, you'll find an article by Wendy Blumfield: "Voices at 50". A few pages further on you'll find four poems.

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Book review Poetry

About the author

R. M. Kiel

R.M. Kiel was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She qualified as a high school teacher. She studied at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg from where she has two degrees (BA majoring in English, history and political theory, and a BA Honours in linguistics) and two diplomas (H Dip Communication Studies and H Dip Education).
She worked in theater on stage, backstage and in the lighting box from the age of six; ran the high schools Play Festival; adjudicated teams in the Helen Suzman Debate League; was awarded a gold medal for the promotion of English education by the University of South Africa in 1989.
She edited the South African edition of Julius Caesar, and has had stories, poetry and articles published in Israel and in South Africa.
R.M. Kiel came to live in Israel in December 2002, and volunteered through ESRA at an Ort School in Tel Aviv and a high school in Jaffa, then transferred to Bar Ilan University. She has given talks at ESRA Tel Aviv monthly meetings and at the AACI.