Welcome To The Night Shift Jim H Duncan Lulu Press ISBN: 1-4116-5182-0 Poetry Reviewed by Lynn Burton

While reading Jim Duncan’s first published book of poetry, I often got this image of a P.I. type with his feet crossed on top of a mahogany desk in a dark office.  Think Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer and you have it.  It’s the dark-edged voice with a sense of humor in Mr. Duncan’s poetry that gave this image its home in my mind.

The works in this collection seem to combine a fear of aloneness with the joy of it as well.  You can feel the emotions-the hope, sadness, wonder and questions-that all writers face.

I could probably pick something out of every poem in the book that I liked.  In each one, we’re given an intimate look at the workings of this individual.  One poem, in particular is I’ve Killed My Fish Tonight.  My favorite part is “this empty tank sits quietly/filter deadened/food soggy and sinking/my reflection peers back through the empty waters/and sees an empty night/through empty eyes...”  The subject and choice of words used to paint this picture are simple yet brilliant.  They aren’t just words to read on a page. They’re images that seem to jump out at you and say, “look at me!” To get a feel for all this collection offers, you have to read it yourself.  This book, as well as his second poetry collection, Thrift Store Majestic, can be found at the author’s website, www.jhdwriting.com. A true talent on the rise.

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