Seeing—In a Small Town by Pasquale Trozzolo
Finishing Line Press
Released date: November 15, 2024, soft cover, 28 pages, $17.99
In Seeing—In a Small Town, Pasquale Trozzolo starts each poem with an epigraph/mini-memoir. Unlike most poets, Trozzolo offers the reader a glimpse of the perspective or scene behind his poetic inferences and, in most cases, casts light on the hidden meanings through his eloquent phrasing. Although these epigraphs/mini-memoirs are not necessary because he takes great care with each word and creates enchanting visuals, these short additions in themselves are a delight. An added spice, or twist, to a well-balanced dish.
With the autonomy of small towns under the threat of homogenization, Trozzolo’s revelations preserve a moment in time when vanishing mom and pops might find some ink. They might linger longer in the hearts of Trozzolo’s readers, preserving the reverence many have for the creative touches of local personalities on local economies.
There’s a touch of Jack Kerouac or Hunter Thompson in Trozzolo’s sense of wandering and in how he takes in the people who fill his view. He places himself in a position to listen, to observe. And with his observations, he weaves America together, one small town at a time.
Poetic snapshots. Nothing overly staged, maybe with a few dreamt up, but most are only the scene before us on a random evening or afternoon in a random establishment. Where one man sees it all. Sees deep into a fractured moment in time, a moment of love, a moment of our constant battle with wanting to know the future before it arrives and yet still finding delight in the mystery of what might come and surprise us enough to write beautiful lyrics about it.
Leisure and time mark these pages, and that’s something not all of us have. But perhaps Trozzolo’s words will show us the importance and the ease it requires to take notice and revel in the cherished charm of small-town living. And after reading his short and witty collection, you might even enjoy standing in line at the checkout counter.
