Raul A. Jordan-Smith
The poems in this book, InnerVerse, include an adult’s reflections on childhood, juxtaposing tropical and wintry imagery. These poems magnify standard items and events, which see the extraordinary in the quotidian.
Two of these poems deal with visible breath, expelled by schoolchildren in cold weather. "Sprinkles" narrates the story of an individual’s first experience seeing a snowfall. The poem contrasts wintry imagery with references to warm weather. The speaker of "Sprinkles" reflects upon childhood innocence, when viewing snow for the first time. The poet desired to capture the yearning for a lost paradise in this poem, as well as in "Waiting for the Bus." The latter, originally entitled "The Cheesewagon," takes a present-day moment and relates it to the speaker’s past. The speaker sits in the car, "waiting for the bus." This mirrors the way in which children hurry to grow up, while adults try to recapture the magic of childhood.
In contrast, two poems in the collection echo family drama. "Early Morning Hours" relates the death of a family member. It begins and ends with the line: "We will be the lonely ones." This statement declares the loss felt by the family of the speaker, as news of a relative’s death travels over a long distance. Furthermore, "A Warm Locale" offers irony, as the speaker’s uncle fears crime in another location. The iron bars also show the boundaries people place between themselves.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from Panama, Republic of Panama, Raul A. Jordan-Smith has wanted to be a writer "ever since I knew what writing was." The fourth of five children (having two brothers and two sisters) , Raul had read the newspaper at the age of three. Around age four or five, Raul would take blank pieces of paper, fold them, and scribble on them, pretending to be a famous writer.
When Raul was eight years old, he and his family moved to the United States of America, settling in Washington, D.C. After living in the Nation’s Capital for a year, the Jordan family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. While living in Alexandria, Raul’s love of the arts grew. He began to write poems and stories in earnest at the age of eleven, while a student at Riverside Elementary School. A few years later, he and his family moved to Woodbridge, Virginia, where he currently resides. He is a graduate of Woodbridge Senior High School.
Raul is also a graduate of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), having graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2005. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. Raul has published a previous book of poetry, entitled Symphonies in the Key of R. He has also been honored in Who’s Who Among Students, was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, and included on The National Dean’s List. Raul is a recent graduate of George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing.
A Warm Locale
I returned to Panama:
My tropical hometown
Thousands of miles from snow
Shovels or icy pathways.
"Welcome back," said my uncle
As he greeted me.
My tío never visited me
In the United States.
"The ladrones will get me
if I visit you there."
My uncle installed
Iron bars on each
Of his windows,
In order to avoid
Tropical thievery.
Salty beaches meet sandy Spanish,
As the castle’s barrier
Protects itself from enemies.
Like the Western Wind
Streetlamps pierce
the visual silence
of a suburban night.
Workday activities
become a memory.
A car whistles
like the western wind
on which birds rest.
Inside a human nest,
folk venture to slumber.
People drive themselves
to dream —
a bedroom community.
