Nocturnal Omissions: A Tale of Two Poets ★★★★★
Gavin Geoffrey Dillard & Eric Norris
168 pages • Sibling Rivalry Press • September 27, 2011 [PB]
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“I’m all about myths; let’s create a whopper.” – Gavin Dillard, Field Notes on a Courtship

Coming together in an epic journey of raunchy sex and true love is Gavin Dillard and Eric Norris in this outstanding book of poetry. I got my hands on a copy of it last fall, shortly after it was released, and I couldn’t put it down. Now normally I’m not one for romantic love poetry, I’m more for the boozy, rock ‘n’ roll, burn-down-the-system type poetry. But these two guys managed to create something that was new, fresh and more importantly, alive.

There is a real sense of love between these two, Gavin makes that clear right out of the starting gate with the first poem ‘La Fin des Temps’, in the closing part,

I want to supplant your blood with my sperm and
plant a garden of teeth upon island and crest;
I want to consume all your rivers and plunder dark
forests.

Eric returns the love a few pages later in the brief poem ‘To My Muse’, writing to Gavin,

Let me taste your taste,
my arms about your waste:
empty every drop
into my mouth. Don’t stop.

Those two brief passages are a good example of why I really dug this book. There is that sort of typical romance in the poetry, but it’s offset by the frank and graphic language used by both poets. They aren’t afraid to express their love for each other in blunt language. They don’t try to hide behind metaphors; they just come out and say it. I think that speaks volumes.

The best passage from this collection, describing a love, lust and desire for life above all else comes from the pen of Eric, in the poem ‘Mosquitoes’,

Burn everything.
Fuck everything.
Let’s go somewhere else and live.

Be adventurous, pick up a copy of this book and discover the love and passion of these two long-time poets.