Our Fourth Pushcart Pick

Michael Schmeltzer’s poem “After the War Parade, the Applause” was a unanimous choice among the poetry editors for a Pushcart nomination, not because of the subject matter, but because of its outstanding emotional power, attention to craft, and vivid detail.

War poems are difficult because they lend themselves so easily to cliché, sentimentality, and/or overstatement. Schmeltzer successfully avoids such traps. Instead, he gives us four snapshots: two of war and two of home. With a very few beautifully chosen words, he allows us to see the horror of war, and then feel not only the guilt and trauma of those who are forced to commit and witness such violence, but also the burden of having to keep it locked away from loved ones at home.

Schmeltzer, who earned his MFA from Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA had this to say about the origin of the poem:

The catalyst for this piece happened a long time ago. My father (who served in the Navy for 21 years) was in Vietnam. The only thing he said about the experience was that Vietnam was beautiful, and so green. Also, a very dear friend (whom I’ve known since we were ten) served two tours in our recent war(s). He doesn’t speak much about it, but he does mention how any loud sound causes him to flinch now, and also how adorable the children were. My parents told me never to ask him about it so there is this inherent silence and mystery around the war experience. This poem is my attempt to capture that silence and create something beautiful from it – to honor them.

Well done, Michael, and congratulations!