Godfrey Green

Singing on Subways Godfrey Green

In Godfrey Green's collection of poems, Singing on Subways, Mr. Green's poems range from his native New York City to as far as Japan; from childhood history to the present day, describing characters, places and experiences. The poet portrays a host of characters (many outside the mainstream), including children, the essential characteristics of their diverse personalities and their various relationships to the poet. The poems display an empathy, a desire to understand what makes the characters tick and the source of their behavior. Often, their situations are sad and they seem not to fit in their environments. But the possibility of redemption is present. A strong sense of fleetingness and loss runs through these poems, but also a sense of hope and joy. Characters and opportunities are lost forever, but an enlightened memory remains. The poems are full of questioning and wonder. The poet is trying to understand what may ultimately not be understandable, but the search brings its own understanding.