Ballistics, Billy Collins. Random House, New York. 978-1-4000-6491-5.
Where Poe frightens with dark enargia and precise rhythm and Parker draws out a wry smile with her bitterness and cynicism, Billy Collins produces genuine grins and thoughtfulness with the poetry of Ballistics. In this collection, Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United States, injects a bit of comic humor into mundane life, whether it be spending the predawn hours staring out the window of his study, having a chat with a dog on the streets of Paris, or mocking himself for sitting alone in the corner of his favorite Chinese restaurant. Ballistics makes the reader laugh while subtly inciting deeper thought on human nature revealed via one particular human’s nature, especially while wondering where the pheasants and ridge have gone in his Pheasant Ridge subdivision or musing on the movie Hippos on Holiday. Subtle, charming, and, above all, humorously entertaining, this collection of poetry should not be missed even if you’re not normally a poetry person.
