Dribble: A Poem

by Jacob Smullyan

Dribble , a poem in cyclic form written in 1983, sets itself the task of exploring a peculiar, seemingly unpromising corner of poetic space. Its apparent subject matter is the grotesque obscenity of excrement, innards, foodstuffs, the reek of loss and sexuality, the pancake-like weight of words and representation. But what emerges is quite different from what its monstrous image repertoire might an extended meditation on the inner forces of creation and destruction. Dribble ’s surreal mechanisms, by which the derangement of sense becomes ordinary, reveals new paths through experience, and in this new world, discredited matter, impelled by a powerful transcendental yearning, takes on new meaning and form; soul arises from the mire with cathartic impact and an unexpected tenderness. Revised 2023 edition.

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2023

About the author

Jacob Smullyan is a classical pianist, software engineer, publisher, and other things.