Marbles of Pearl: Tale of the Satyr

From the lofty view of a gawking gargoyle to a rocky ride in choppy waters led by a famous bow, Bruce Wayne guides his readers on a voyage through a legendary poetic expedition. Marbles of Pearl is a tribute to mythological characters, lively humans and the age old love of language, Old English, in particular.

One of the most interesting, and entertaining, exercises are Wayne’s crafty blends of humor illustrated by his Minor and Major Dedications at the beginning of each poem. Each poem he has devoted to major players in both the real world and the mythological realms: “Major Dedication to John Cheever” “Minor Dedication to Orpheus.” Some of them are rather intriguing, Humphrey Bogart, Johnny Depp, Napoleon Bonaparte. Instead of having to slow my reading down to research the names of the dedicated, I would have preferred a brief explanation to guide the reader into the cadence. Written in the form of a play, effectively, with a Prologue, Six Acts, an Epilogue and a Curtain Call, the work has a balanced, rhythmic flow and a unique form (not often utilized in today’s modern poetry). Wayne’s work models his inspiration, ancient Greek epic poetry, through his use of symbolism, metaphor and assonance, “On high one Pilot Idol/Heeds his captive ring,/ She sends a ship with bosom crew/As her offering/In desperate oath She lay Her trust/Her trust in mortal king/ On the wings of Avarice/Treasure to redeem/The king and crew do sail on through/War both fair and keen/While praying to Her ivory bust/Her bust above the beam”[.]

This collection of verse is an endeavor indeed. At times, I felt overwhelmed by the subject matter and history, almost as if there was a secret code that I was not privy to. I would recommend this to those brave and adventurous code breakers.