Track & Trace, Zachariah Wells (Biblioasis)

Zachariah Wells (reading this Thursday with Wayne Clifford and Amy
Jones, 6pm at The Company House) frequently tunes to the world in
winter, searching out its subtleties with heightened sense, a pursuit
implied by title, design and illustrations by Seth. The PEI native’s
rural settings are recognizably Maritime, and the power of the
landscape to shape thoughts is often evoked, especially “Field of
Floes.” Too often, though, he loses sight of the whole poem to focus on
a rhyme scheme. It may be a goal of the project, but it buries the
other strengths in the writing. For example, in “After the Blizzard,”
Halifax emerges as place and mindset, where special mettle, especially
in winter, is required. The idea is unfortunately undermined by the
rhyme, particularly this couplet ending the poem: “When life’s a
hundred thousand times too short/why do we settle for scrap, shred,
crumb, ort?” An ort? Seeking the dictionary, the poem’s impact and view
fades. An antidote to the scheming, is titled, ironically, “Rhythm.” In
it, Wells recalls listening to the rhythm of his mother knitting winter
wear. Alliterative and rhyming words, not so self-consciously arranged,
become the sound of the coming cold. Wells works wonders when he writes
like this.

This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2009.