Grayson FishPast Perfect by Ross White from his book Charm Offensive Craft Post 5/5
What lies at the bottom? So many thoughts and feelings with this one, but what a powerful story told in this poem.
Past Perfect by Ross White from his book Charm Offensive Craft Post 4/5
The grief theme shown in this poem really shows we all carry something around, but can we move past it, like the waves of the ocean? The ocean is a powerful motif because it can symbolize the cycles of transformation & reinvention, the ability to feel and move through feelings,and also- the ocean still contains what it does, whether a wave washes it away or not.
"Past Perfect" by Ross White, from his book Charm Offensive. Craft Post (3 of 5)
The concept of the invented past dissipating is a great way to connect the thread all the way through the poem. Utilizing the fog and the ribs of the skeleton is genius. I love how the poem ends, as it really shows what the subject needs. He goes from destination to destination, but nothing to recount the experiences he has had.
"Past Perfect" by Ross White, from his book Charm Offensive. Craft Post (2 of 5)
It clues back into his journey from point A to point B. The part about him reinventing himself each time blows me away and makes me wonder- do some people do that who travel all over the world to different destinations? Some definitely do out there and I wonder about the stories they tell. He has many stories for sure- as you can tell by his appearance.
Past Perfect by Ross White from his book Charm Offensive Craft Post 1/5
This is one of my favorite poems from this book. The words used are precisely what I want to read when reading this poem. I can really feel as if I am visualizing the ferryman; his appearance, feelings, the scene. I love the spacing with certain verses to carry the feelings and scene from line to line.
One of my favorite stanzas is “ he knows only that he arrived /in a modest vessel” .