Boychik Poems

Barry Vitcov's third collection of poems is a poetic coming-of-age, skillfully picturing a Jewish boyhood as seen through the wise, attentive eyes of manhood. Vitcov captures perfectly what it is to be raised in both the mystery and everydayness of Jewish faith. He does so in plain-spoken language, with flashes of lyricism and surprising appearances of rhyme - variously pleasing and energizing. When Vitcov draws you, as he does with aplomb, into a specific place - spaces ranging from family holiday memories, the Holy Land, a taxi driven by an Arab, adolescence as a "Jewball" on a basketball court, or the "Zone of Interest" where manicured lawns adjoin human furnaces - you feel privileged in the presence of a guide who speaks with vivid specificity, depth of heart and profound understanding. Whether the scene calls for poignancy, pathos, or an endearing reminiscence shared with Yiddish humor - Vitcov's voice is true. Each line, each detail rings with significance. You leave each poem different than how you came. Like emerging from a fine film or novel, Vitcov delivers in the moments it takes to read a poem. And you want to go back to savor each poem's fullness. You might emerge from a poem rich with images - as of a potentially risky liaison ("Cornucopia") or the ways we measure time ("Time Passes") - and then to look back and discover you've just read a sonnet.