Kingdom of the Instant

Like all of Rodney's books, it took me quite a while to lock into the rhythms of his poems. Condense and complex, his writing is almost always hard for me to get into. Many times I've given up, disappointed and convinced that I wouldn't read him again.But, like always, I'd go back later--usually a month or two--and they would simply click into place, stunning me and re-affirming my faith in his quirky, haunting, and wholly unique vision. "Kingdom of the Instant" is my favorite collection of his more recent books. His range of topics is characteristically broad--from music to sex, from death to misanthropy--and his love and mastery of the language seem fresher than ever. I know several ex-fans of Rodney's who claim he's gotten boring and too academic over the years. I couldn't disagree more. His work may lack some of the verve and immediacy of his earlier frenetic poetry--like "The Unborn," or "Transparent Gestures"--but it shows a yearning for a deeper understanding of the universe and its workings. "Kingdom of the Instant" will be one of those rare books that I will be able to pick up from time to time (for many years to come) and still have my breath taken away from some new angle, some new insight, I'm sure to find within.