EXTINCTION

by Geza Tatrallyay

Geza's poems confront our human ultimate concerns of Mother Earth, life, love, death, and the meaning of existence. There are the doomsday poems, an unmistakable wake-up call, if not already too late, and poems on the beauty of our cosmos along with the fleeting joys of love open to being husband, father, and grandfather. This book makes it clear where Geza is coming from, where he is going, why, and his wonderful, compact poems demonstrate what poetry is and ought to be.

Genres: Poetry

103 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2019

About the author

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Geza escaped with his family in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution, emigrating to Canada the same year. He grew up in Toronto, attending the University of Toronto Schools, where he was School Captain. He graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Human Ecology in 1972 (after taking a break in his studies to work as a host in the Ontario Pavilion at Expo’70 in Osaka, Japan). Geza was selected as a Rhodes Scholar from Ontario, attending Oxford University and graduating with a BA/MA in Human Sciences in 1974; he completed his studies with a MSc in Economics from London School of Economics and Politics in 1975. Geza represented Canada as an epée fencer in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

Geza’s professional experience has included stints in government (Department of Finance, Canada), international organizations (Inter-American Development Bank), commercial / investment banking (Royal Bank of Canada), private equity (MAVA Capital in Hungary) and environmental entrepreneurship (Vertis Environmental Finance). Since 2004, he has been semi-retired, advising a few firms mainly in the clean energy sector and devoting himself to his family, travel and writing. Geza is a citizen of Canada and Hungary, with an American wife, a daughter living in San Francisco and a son in Nairobi, and currently divides his time between San Francisco and Barnard, Vermont, with frequent visits to Montreal, Toronto, New York, Vienna and London.

Reviews

[Geza Tatrallyay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book to put together. Unlike my two previous poetry collections, these are recent poems, written over the last couple of years, with most very much focusing on what we are doing to the earth around us, to other species and to ourselves. Most are serious, some are frivolous, but certainly, the central theme is very much a serious one. i think that most readers will enjoy them very much.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (02/19)

“Extinction” by Geza Tatrallyay is a collection of poems and haikus inspired by our relationship with our planet and nature. Within the collection the author paints a gloomy and realistic picture of how mankind has mistreated the planet, and what is in store for us because of the damage we have done.

The book is divided in three sections: The World, Species, and Personal. Although these sections are three points of view, I felt they all focused on how we have affected our planet. The last section shows more of the author’s own life experience yet, I felt that it also spoke of the effects that we, as a species, have on our world. Through this premise the author explores the dark side with works like ‘Haiku: eons ago,’ ‘melting Polar Ice Cap,’ and ‘Extinction,’ among others. Through his words readers will visit a world that is losing hope as mankind looks the other way instead of changing their ways.

Geza Tatrallyay’s voice is unique in the sense that it somehow manages to take readers though this hopeless world of impending death of the planet, and yet inspire our sense of humanity. It calls for us to stop being witness and begin being active in nourishing our hurting planet. Some of my favorites other than ‘Extinction’ are: ‘Sarin in Siria,’ Elusive Anthropoid,’ ‘Fallen Leaves,’ Time Shuffles us,’ and ‘Like Romeo.’ Below is a Haiku I loved to show a little of what I liked most about the author’s voice:

‘Haiku: old age

Skin wrinkles, joints ache,

Peeing becomes difficult-

The mind slows, forgets.’

Overall, though sometimes gloomy, I enjoyed “Extinction” by Geza Tatrallyay as a collection of thought-provoking works meant to touch our hearts and our minds and inspire change before is too late for the planet, and us. I recommend it as a must-read for all humankind in the hopes of awakening us all with a sense of urgency and consider just how much we depend on our ecosystem for our survival. Looking the other way from what is happening to our planet is a luxury we can no longer afford.