Larry Jaffe
The Anguish of the Blacksmith’s Forge
Feel your heart smolder with passion, order it today, read it tomorrow!
Notes from the author:
Dear Friends,
I am very excited to tell you that my new book, The Anguish of the Blacksmith’s Forge is about to be published by Troubadour Publishing in England and available in the U.S.The book will be released just in time for the holidays as a gift foryourself, a friend or a lover. It is filled with passion and romance,conflict and resolution. Two dear poet friends Jayne Fenton Keane and Ilya Kaminski wrote the forward and introduction respectively.You can read some of the poetry from the book on my web site.And thank you so very much for your continued support over the years. It seems the coming year for me is going to be the best ever poetically. In addition to the usual round of festivals and tours, I was just invited to the Nigerian Dream PoetryFestival as the keynote poet and speaker.Be the first on your block to orderThe Anguish of the Blacksmith’s Forge(it’s also good karma)
Dear Friends,
I would like to tell you a little bit about the background of THE ANGUISH OF THE BLACKSMITH’S FORGE.Yes, I guess you could say it is a book of love poems,but that would be a rather limited description.Limited because books of love poems tend to be rather clichéand I hope there is more to this book than cliché.The concept came to me from almost two directions at once. The idea isbased on the traditional making of swords in Japan. The Japanese Swordis considered intrinsically beautiful. Simultaneously, they must functionas a weapon be incredibly strong yet able to remain sharp with heavy use cutting through armor without bending or breaking. Japanese Swords are also regarded as sacred objects, and according to the precepts of Zen Buddhism, are regarded as the instruments of moral guidance for the Samurai seeking a pathway to enlightenment.It is the way that these swords have been made for thousands of years that intrigued me, the steel is heated in the forge and folded over and over again forming a super strong laminate from thousands of layers. The steel is then hammered out to form the shape of the blade and covered in clay, which is removed along the cutting edge, and heated to the color of the moon in February or August. It is then quenched in cold water. This is a critical moment, as the tensions brought about by the sudden change in temperature could break the blade. This process produces a blade with a tough, yet slightly flexible body, with a hardened razor edge. The blade then undergoes a rigorous polishing process, using up to fifteen different grades of stones and copious amounts of water, to produce a highly polished surface.And I thought to myself, how like the heart in love and out of love. And what if one could purify oneself in some way to allow the heart to be like this blade sharp, piercing yet beautiful? And for the past several months I have been undergoing what I would call a spiritual rebirth. And, it’s all tied together. Thus THE ANGUISH OF THE BLACKSMITH’S FORGE was born at the forge of love…This is a part of the story, there is more that I will reveal from timeto time for you my dear friends.Help me celebrate the release of this book, by getting your own copywith a personal inscription from yours truly. Go to my web site and you canfind some of the poetry. Order it today! Fall in love tomorrow! Clickhere http://larryjaffe.com/forge.htm.
Much Love,
Larry
The Anguish of the Blacksmith’s Forge by Larry Jaffe ISBN 1-904744-56-7 74 pages at 15.00 US Troubadour Publishing Ltd. www.troubador.co.uk
Often the finest discoveries come about inadvertently, by chance. Such is the case with Larry Jaffe’s poetry. As poet and otherwise, Jaffe’s credentials are impeccable. He is the International Readings Coordinator for the United Nations Dialogue Among Civilizations through Poetry Project. He co-founded Poets for Peace. His work has been translated into many languages and is read around the world. Long time fans celebrate the release of a new book by Larry Jaffe. I regret not discovering him sooner. So where to begin with a review?
Poem I is a good start:
A woman materializes from the sea he risks all hope on a smile.
Simple. Clearly expressed in a way that both characters come to life before our eyes. Minimalist, perhaps, but not minimizing, as in a following poem that is almost haiku-like in its design:
They speak with fingers A teared cheek smiles.
Jaffe writes of love — its deepest pains and grandest blessings — as in this excerpt where a loving encounter:
replaces his emptiness baptizes his body with her own…
And when love goes wrong, sorrow smothers out every other aspect of life:
she works goodbyes into his emerging scars.
Despite the bereft lover’s sorrow, there is a wonderful humor in his thought processes:
He sings her name in bed every night like an old rock and roll song. This lesson in forgetting is not very practical.
Jaffe describes the poems in this book as “minimalist.” I found his poems to be simple but eloquent, rich with meaning and easily understood. Anyone who ever loved or needed love should read these poems. They’re forged from Larry Jaffe’s heart.
Laurel Johnson Review Editor – New Works Review
