God Particles is Thomas Lux’ eleventh book of poetry. His verses contain rather striking and unusual images that disturb or amuse at first and then coalesce into feelings more lasting than the initial reaction. Look at some of the titles in this collection: “Hitler's slippers,” “Sleep ambulance,” “Stink eye,” “Gravy boat goes over the waterfall,” “Jesus' baby teeth,” “Apology to my neighbors for beheading their duck,” “The deathwatch beetle,” “Sex after funerals,” “Toad on golf tee,” and the title poem, “God particles.”

The words that flow out of these titles make us traverse through landscapes that are vivid and well-crafted. The abstract world of poetry is absent from the lines that saunter through (natural) elements that have pleasure for children (and adults): ants, bees, stink eye, peacocks in twilight, toads and moles. Lux hunts for words and metaphors in realms that most poets would not venture into: the harmonic scalpel, the republic of anesthesia, and vinegar on chalk (all poem titles). His similes are as uncommon as "His thoughts like a deck of cards hit / by a howitzer (from “Puzzlehead”).

The unmistakable skill of Thomas Lux lies in creating an aftertaste, which is like the coolness felt after water evaporates away. As we discover the tenderness with which he deals with human frailties, we realize that all this satire, wit, and imagery is there to make us stop and listen. As we scrape off the last words of a poem, we sense how subtly Lux commanded compassion, tolerance, morality, and honesty to float into our hearts and minds. He propels us into his poems as if we were to watch the gladiators fight to death. After the initial thrill of watching the struggle is gone, we are left with an experience or a heartache, maybe sympathy for the loser, admiration for the skill of a fighter, and maybe even disgust at the bloodshed that seemed entertaining only moments back.

I confess my admiration for Thomas Lux is influenced by my endless regard for him as a teacher and a mentor. In Indian tradition, we believe every seeker (of knowledge, truth, or beauty) needs a Guru to guide his way. For countless students like me at Georgia Institute of Technology, Sarah Lawrence, Warren Wilson, and numerous other places, Thomas Lux has provided that mixture of care, knowledge, and guidance characteristic of a Guru. For this very reason, I always refer to him as Gurudev (Gurudev means teacher-God, and we refer to Tagore as Gurudev).

Article Author: Vivek Sharma

Vivek Sharma is a Pushcart nominated poet, an engineer with a PhD, a career scientist and an Indian-American writer. His work is published or forthcoming in Poetry, Atlanta Review, The Cortland Review, Kartika Review, etc. …

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