Cleaning a Rainbow

by Gary Gildner

Poetry. In this engaging collection, Gildner considers life as seen anew through the eyes of his young daughter, and yet he remembers his own father and reflects on the passage of time in his life.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1886157634
• ISBN13: 9781886157637
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: BkMk Press of the University of Missouri-Kans
• Length: 77 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Review: Cleaning a Rainbow, by Gary Gildner

NOTE: This review first appeared in *Flint Hills Review* 2008 Gary Gildner's Cleaning a Rainbow: Poems, his eighth book of poetry, is a splendid addition to the award-winning author's growing body of work. Gildner has written twenty books including poetry, fiction, and memoir. His current offering reflects the wisdom and confidence of a poet who has spent a lifetime perfecting his craft. Gildner's engaging voice is that of a story-teller pondering the mysteries of nature and the subtleties of life. Gildner reminds the reader of an old friend with new stories to tell. His easy, straight-forward command of language entices you to turn off the phone, wrap your hands around a warm mug of coffee, and lean into the latest tidbits from atop his Idaho mountain retreat. Gildner's poetic narratives are sometimes enchanting, sometimes troubling, but always gratifying. The collection's title poem is a full-page, single-sentence poetic jewel. Good poets notice little things. Great poets make little things come alive. Gildner calls on a rainbow trout as metaphor for the wonders of nature. The meditation is an explosion of the senses. The reader sees "boulders blue and yellow and red," hears "the moony call / an owl still can't stop giving softly inside it," feels "echoes form the lightest touch inside it...," smells "the scent of cherry and musk," and tastes "bear's breath and the must oozing / from a single wild grape..." The poem shimmers with life. A recurring and favorite subject in Gildner's poetry is his daughter, Margaret. Gildner has a magical way of sharing snippets from his young daughter's life without becoming mawkish or sentimental. In his opening offering, "All This," Gildner finds pleasure and poetry in taking a walk with young Margaret. They find a special stone and relish the discovery of wild strawberries by "flapping our elbows." What better way to celebrate joy with a young child than by flapping elbows together? The poet concludes "I just don't want it to stop very soon." Neither do we, and Gildner does not disappoint. "Three" is a delightfully absurd description of the toddler "...wearing an orange / bathing suit over a plum-blue / bathing suit... / smeared green with watercolor..." Around her neck she wears a "paper pine tree" and Band-Aid necklace. Beneath this preposterous getup, however, beats the heart of a philosopher who struggles to remember her life as a baby. Gildner has an empathetic ability for seeing the world through his daughter's eyes. He appreciates that tiny arms sometimes wrap themselves around huge issues, and he is a patient listener. The young girl concludes, "`it's never easy.'" Not all of Gildner's poetry centers on his daughter, of course. In this collection, he explores themes including love, loss, nature, music, and his Polish heritage. Gildner writes about life. It's his life to be sure, but everyman's, also, which is why his words resonate with the reader. Gi