Pomegranates for My Son (Inscribed)

Pomegranates for my Son is a rich poem cycle rooted in Jewish tradition, but perfectly transparent to the general reader. It examines the universally ambivalent passage to manhood - and more specifically, fatherhood - across dispersed generations.

Central to the cycle is the poet's wry awareness of himself - the 'small, anxious face' that floats uncertainly 'when I frown into the mirror' - and of the fragility of life, which is nevertheless to be celebrated. Sometimes sad, always witty and humane, Gordin's work strikes out in several new directions and deserves to be widely read and enjoyed for its laconic sophistication.