Tomorrow's Gone - 50 Poems by Philip Fracassi
Philip Fracassi sent me a signed copy of this beautiful hardcover collection of poetry. Being a huge fan of Philip’s, I couldn’t wait to dig into a facet of his artistry that was new to me.
This little collection is easy to fly through. Some poems are only three or four lines long. The colorful and beauteous images peppering the collection are by Mark Licari and he captured the essence of these poems well. There is one picture that spans both pages that I carefully studied; it’s a whirlpool with a boat trying to stay afloat. Circling the swirling center is a wedding ring, a lyre, handcuffs, errant words, an apple that has been bitten, a couch that has been shot full of arrows (nice jacket! Who shot the couch?!).
The poems themselves embody all the hardships Philip has had in love, his art, personal issues with substances and conflict, and feeling like he knows too much without knowing anything. It is evident that the poems were all written at different times in Philip’s life as he experienced their subject matter, and that idea is validated in the Author’s Notes at the end of the book.
As an avid fan of Philip Fracassi, this work gave me a new insight into what has been going on in his head. I enjoy his short stories the most, but I feel like reading these poems has given me new eyes with which to see his work, and that is invaluable. Filled with existentialism, love, hate, envy, and sometimes hilarious annoyance, this is worth a read if you enjoy Fracassi’s work.