Delayed En Route
by Stephen J. Cribari
​The station platform, worn by thousands down
To smooth wood by fidgeting in place
Or pacing to and fro, coming and going
Anxious under cloudless autumn skies.
They know that it will come when it will come,
That schedules are approximate at best.
​
- Impressions Waiting on the
Station Platform
​
So begins the first verse of Stephen Cribari's chronicle of life's journey, not just an individual journey but the journey we are all taking. Each of the 29 poems in this collection captures a particular snapshot along the way forward, rendered in focused attention to detail that often goes unnoticed. From the mysterious view across an isolated Irish cliff to the disconnected intimacy of a doctor's waiting room to a lesson on fingerprinting a corpse, you are invited to travel along an itinerary guided by the heart and what the heart knows. Step aboard and you will experience moments not your own but that evoke feelings deeply yours, that only you know so well.
While you were waiting...
Haven't we all spent the last couple of years waiting? At Lothrop Street Press, we have certainly been on hiatus for 18 months. That is why on this first day of spring we are so delighted to announce a new publication: Delayed En Route by Stephen J. Cribari. Despite the aptly named title, Cribari has not been merely waiting. His portion of the libretto for an oratorio, Mystics in Search of An Audience, was performed by Musik-Theater Heidelberg (2021). The Grammar Lesson appeared in the most recent edition of Passager (2021), issued in connection with their annual poetry contest. We look forward to welcoming other valued poets to Lothrop Street Press who understand that timeless poetry arrives on its own schedule regardless of obstacles in its way.
Lothrop Street Press is a small, independent publisher dedicated to literature that moves the spirit and bears analysis, with books as beautiful to look at as they are to read. Founded in 2020, we focus on poetry and short fiction, releasing several select titles per year. Subscribe below for announcements of future releases.
