For the 25th installment of my “poetry gratitude” series, I pay tribute to Anselm Hollo (1934-2013), a great poet and a mensch with a huge heart. I’ve been thinking about posting a couple of poems by him for some time. Every time I start, I’m filled with sadness that he’s no longer among us. I was lucky to have spent a short span of time with him. I have always loved and admired Anselm’s poetry for his voice (self-styled as “avuncular”) and for his sense of wonder and of being in the moment.
Below are poems by Hollo from one of my most treasured poetry collections, published in letterpress by Toothpaste Press: Heavy Jars (1977). A beautiful book in every way.
Rogue Embryo 