Mindscapes

In Lee Woodman’s Mindscapes, the poems often start in familiar landscapes— the ocean, the moon, an airplane, the subway—but take off into mindscapes of the imagination. A “blue torso lady” emerges from the ocean; a traveler leaps from the oval window of an airplane to walk on clouds; a barking dog repeats his warning and averts a car crash for an unsuspecting driver.

Woodman makes skillful choices in poetic forms, using pantoum, villanelle, narrative and free verse to enhance content, both harsh and whimsical. We feel the grief of a mother bird whose chick has fallen from the nest and sense the longing of a Japanese man sitting alone by a koi pond. The poet does not shrink from the terrifying when she depicts an immigrant caught in a terrible accident, leaving her demented and depraved.

Other characters we meet in Mindscapes include Athena, the Greek goddess, ghosts, and fairy tale heroes like Pinocchio and Thumbelina. These engaging personae help clarify difficult life decisions and share street smarts about the contemporary world. Concurrent themes of rebellion and tenderness thread the work. Lee’s subjects are universal—fear, love, nature, dreams, and longing. Scary dogs, white lies, wild colors, and wriggling squid can remind us that fantasy and beauty—no matter how strange or different—can be found in unexplored alleys and unexpected corners.