Looking Outward with Tom Carnicelli

Tom Carnicelli will give a reading of poems from his latest collection, “Looking Outward.” This is the fourth poetry collection, and his fourth reading hosted by York Public Library. In his first three collections, “Old Guy, Part One,” “Older Guy,” and “Older Still,” he focuses on his thoughts and feelings about old age and retirement. He still does some of that in the new collection, but he’s also shifted more of his attention to the world around him, to people, places, and things in the outside world. “After all,” he says, “I don’t want to end up writing ‘Poems from the Crypt.’”

Although Tom taught English at UNH for many years, he tries not to write like an academic. His poems are always accessible. He tries to write about experiences that everyone can relate to. And he usually keeps a light touch. Here’s an example:

Sunday Night Supper

It’s Sunday night. Our guests

Have gone home, and we’re

Too tired to shop or go out.

We’ve been cramming left-overs

Into the refrigerator all week. 

We should be able to make 

A meal out of those.

But not with this dried-up

Slice of pizza, or this wilted salad,

Or this half-eaten hamburger.

And not with this sausage, which

Still looks good, but is beginning

To sweat a little. And not

With this faintly repulsive

Slice of meatloaf.

On the good side, we don’t

Have that much: a few

Small boiled potatoes

And three coconut shrimp.

One of us could have these

For lunch next week,

But, for supper tonight, it’s

Looking like fried eggs

And toast.