I hope that y'all know the poetry of Merrill Gilfillan. It's mostly amazing and inspiring and perfectly weird and real.  I give you exhibit A:  http://www.onedit.net/issue6/merrillg/merrillg.html

I came to Gilfillan's work when I was falling in love and I'm sure that colors my take on it. BUT. He has an amazing ear, and the logic of the poems is loose enough to float / contort / defy expectation.  They are also logical enough to feel like wonderful conversation.

Fellow Horse Less co-editor Erica Howsare has a pretty great review of my favorite book, Small Weathers, here: http://versemag.blogspot.com/2005/04/new-review-of-merrill-gilfillan.html

Gary Barwin, a poet I also admire, has a thoughtful review of The Seasons here: http://lemonhound.blogspot.com/2009/03/gary-barwin-on-merrill-gilfillan.html 

The poem that Barwin features proves that Gilfillan can even pull off the infamous "I-Saw-A-Dead-Animal-And-Then-The-World-Was-Amazing" poem.  That ain't easy; it's like trying to write a GOOD pop song.

John Latta discusses and presents several poems from The Bark of the Dog over here (a million years ago, but I'm better late then never): http://isola-di-rifiuti.blogspot.com/2010/11/merrill-gilfillans-bark-of-dog.html

In short, I felt compelled to tell you that if you haven't already, check out that verse slinger.

Also, the above is an anomaly of nature. So are you.