My Noiseless Entourage

This collection of poems from Charles Simic demonstrates once again his wit, moral acuity, and brilliant use of imagery. His settings are a farmhouse porch, a used-clothing store, empty station platforms; his subjects love, futility, and the sense of an individual life lived among a crowd of literal and imaginary presences.

Both sharp and sympathetic, the poems of this collection confirm Simic's place as one of the most important and appealing poets of our time.
To Dreams
I'm still living at all the old addresses,

Wearing dark glasses even indoors,

On the hush-hush sharing my bed

With phantoms, visiting in the kitchen

After midnight to check the faucet.

I'm late for school, and when I get there

No one seems to recognize me.

I sit disowned, sequestered and withdrawn.
These small shops open only at night

Where I make my unobtrusive purchases,

These back-door movie houses in seedy neighborhoods

Still showing grainy films of my life,

The hero always full of extravagant hope

Losing it all in the end?-whatever it was-

Then walking out into the cold, disbelieving light

Waiting close-lipped at the exit.

 

This collection from a master of the form finds the haunting and the humorous in the most unexpected places.

• Surreal Imagery: Discover phantoms in the kitchen, dreamlike movie houses in seedy neighborhoods, and the uncanny lurking on a simple farmhouse porch.
• Wry and Philosophical: Poems that wrestle with love, futility, and the quiet vertigo of living an individual life among a crowd of unseen presences.
• Accessible yet Profound: Simic’s signature clear language and sharp observations make this an ideal collection for both longtime poetry lovers and new readers.
• Award-Winning Voice: From a celebrated poet praised for his sharp, sympathetic, and unforgettable perspective on modern life.