In time
for Halloween/Dia de los Muertos, readers can find all sorts of
spooky poetry, or, for the more discerning reader, there is Denise Dumars's Paranormal Romance: Poems Romancing the Paranormal
(copyright 2012 Sam's Dot Publishing).
Paranormal
Romance approaches the spirit world without fear, trepidation or
hubris, telling tales (sometimes cautionary), of the “thinning of
the veil,” between the living and the dead with a strong narrative,
and a well-honed sense of humor. There are Egyptian gods taking a
vacation (“Djehuti in Las Vegas”); a paen to ectoplasmic
motorcycle riders (“Ghost Riders”; and, instructions on the
proper way to honor 19th century Voudoo Queen Marie Leveau (“Mam'zelle”). There are also a series of “what if”
scenarios, where Dumars imagines what it would be like to exist in
more than one universe - with unforeseen consequences - (“Parallel
World''); and, the colors, as well as the communication spectrum of
ghosts (“Home”).
The
reverence with which Dumars approaches those who have shuffled off
this mortal coil is apparent in all her poetry. The dead are not
“dead,” in anything other than a corporeal sense; Dumars's
awareness of both past and present coexisting/overlapping rend the
veil as she explores the positive advantages of leisure activities
with the spirits ('Wasting Time"), a capricious game of hide-and-seek
with a ghost (“Victorian Fantasy”), and, the all-pervading
current that comes through with the commingling of both worlds in the
city of New Orleans, as in the poem “Magic”:
And we knew
the first time we visited:
Vodou veves
in the gang graffiti ,
Guys
dressed like Baron Samadi riding bicycles
near the
statue of Jefferson Davis,
the ghost
of your long-lost love
walking
down a street in the Bywater
at dusk.
We
live in a society obsessed with not only staying young, but, also, a
society that increasingly views the unseen world as a curiosity to be
made fun of/debunked on B-minus reality programs. Sadly, honoring the
dead, and acknowledging death as a vital part of our existence are
highly discouraged. Dumars's Paranormal Romance gives the
reader permission to break these taboos, and to gain back the truth;
death is a part of life, and life goes on after we
cease to breathe.
Author Bio:
Denise Dumars is a widely published author of poetry, short fiction,
articles, essays, and reviews. She has had a variety of occupations,
including library technician, film journalist, technical editor,
literary agent, and college instructor. She lives in the beautiful
South Bay area of Los Angeles County, but her heart is in New
Orleans.
Paranormal Romance: Poems Romancing the Paranormal, copyright 2012 Denise
Dumars, Sam's Dot Publishing, 978-0-9828975-4-6, 122 pages, $10.00.
Poem
“Magic,” ©
2012 Denise Dumars
Article
Content ©
2012 Marie Lecrivain
