From the darkly humourous to the quietly reflective, Hertzberger's poetry takes the reader on an eclectic journey between past revelations and imagined futures; from stormy skies to peaceful Sunday afternoons.
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This book is a delight - poignant, deep, funny and evocative. Mark Herzberger's dry sense of humour and keen appreciation for irony sneak up on you with heart-piercing truths- some large, some small. His poems are full of commonplace scenes that suddenly metamorphose as he leaps seamlessly between the mundane, the surreal and the profound. Each poem is like a present you unwrap, thinking you know what it is, only to find it's something different-something more. His details are vivid, accompanied by a well-cultivated dexterity with imagery and metaphor. His frank humanity invites you in, sits you down, and makes you a cup of tea. You feel like you're hanging out with a good friend-one who continually surprises, enchants and sometimes perplexes with the scope of his insight into human nature and sympathy for our collective condition. You'll want to visit, again and again.
Carol Casey, poet, two-time Pushcart nominee and winner of the Stratford 2016 Open Mike Contest; author of "What Can Happen: family and other raptures of imperfection."
Crow's Foot gifts the reader a fast-paced, punchy romp through Hertzberger's marvellous world of curiosities, keen insights, and memorable observations. From the whimsical to the reflective, mischievous yet tender, these clever, intuitive poems dispense events and emotions with the delightful abandonment of tossed bird seed. With this, his first major collection, Hertzberger shines as the upstart crow, and the world of poetry is all the better for it.
David Stones, poet, author of "sfumato" and "Essays of Light" (Blue Moon Publishers)