My Empire Sputters

My Empire Sputters by Will Reger

• Author: Will Reger
  Binding: Paperback
  ISBN: 9788119228102
  Publisher: Cyberwit.net
  Pub. Date: 2023
  Price: $15

Here we notice very impressive ardour of imagination in these poems. The words are evocative and poetic, with vivid imagery that speaks to the passing of time, the destruction of nature, and the violence of war.

my empire sputters its days

age of time harbors years

my forest fire churns the world in jaws of flame,
a fire inside myself, the breath the world exhales.

my shot, my shell, my explosion
my smoke rolling in the sky, my high
darkness over the brightness of your field

engine to the future, my road into the distance
dusty with armies’ march

tomb full of bones, my open gate, my wandering

my sky and trees, my exploration
my getaway car, my rain, my call to the breach
whatever it has to teach.

opening on everything (Body)

The poem speaks empire sputtering its days, suggesting a decline or waning of power. The age of time harbors years, emphasizing the unstoppable passage of time and the inevitability of change.

The language of war - "my shot, my shell, my explosion" - adds to the sense of violence and destruction, with the darkness over the brightness of field representing a kind of loss or defeat.

Despite the darkness and destruction, there is a sense of hope and possibility in words. Words speak of an engine to the future, a road into the distance, and a call to the breach, suggesting a kind of forward momentum and a willingness to explore and learn from whatever comes..

Overall, the words capture the complexity and contradictions of life, with both light and darkness, hope and despair, beauty and destruction coexisting in a single moment.

In another poem Common Courtesy for a Cat the poet uses his real creative genius in all lines.

I hear a cat meowing among the trees.
He has wandered into a distance
he cannot, in my view, perceive.
Is it autumn with melancholy leaves?
Or winter with a killing snow?
No, it is early summer when the cat got out.
He won’t be back in again because
he seeks something out there, and he is
guided by smell — or heritage —
who can say? I will always remember
the sight of that infamously gray cat,
hesitating in the upper branches,
and looking down upon the world,
beyond the reach of any sympathy.
Let him find his own way down,
if I must endure the same in life.
I will say farewell to him and take
my road deeper into the trees.
I have no words for this little one,
but if we meet again, I will rub his belly. (Common Courtesy for a Cat)

This poem paints a vivid picture of a cat wandering among the trees, seemingly lost or searching for something. There is a sense of melancholy in the air, with the mention of autumn and winter, but it is actually early summer when the cat has ventured out.

The cat's behavior is intriguing - guided by smell or heritage, he is determined to explore the world beyond the reach of any sympathy. There is a sense of admiration in the poem for his independence and spirit.

As we continue to observe the cat, we recognize the inevitability of separation - he won't be back in again, and we must take our own road deeper into the trees. Despite this, there is a sense of fondness and even love for the little one, as we mention the desire to rub his belly if we can meet again.

Overall, the words capture the bittersweetness of life, with both beauty and sadness, love and loss, intertwined. The cat becomes a symbol of independence and freedom, a reminder to embrace the unknown and to follow our own paths, even if it means leaving behind the comfort and safety of home.

I highly recommend this book.

                                                                                                                    -Ruchi Agarwal