The Physics Tree

If an important aspect of poetry is that it can make us change the way we see the world, The Physics Tree surely accomplishes this feat. M. Parise's collection of poems defines-and redefines-our world, our universe. These poems delve into the realm of physics as it relates to human consciousness. It is a fascination with physics that led Parise to first study and ultimately write about it. The author experiments with astrophysics and the cosmos, quantum physics, big bang and string theories, the arrow of time, dreams, the subconscious, and the universal experience of déjà vu with remarkable insight, simplicity, and candor. Yet the work here is not without humor, as evident in the poem Cloning in Java and these lines from Collide: "Growth Accelerating Tablets (easy to swallow) / Cordless Addiction-Removal Devices (in 3 easy steps) / Psychic Pen and Pencil Sets (stationery included)", There's also a bit of whimsy: "Silver bells ring in a time basket, / Peas have feet here, / I hear a hen telling the truth" from When Symmetry Curves. As the poems unveil one phenomenal mystery after another, the reader encounters perhaps a new era in literature-one in which science and art are unified.