Far As The Curse Is Found
Poems in Six Places
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
October 3, 1983
Morning After
Walking through Olde Queens campus;
St. Peter’s bells ring twelve
Times; you and I stroll on the grass.
Sun, like though a skylight,
Falls on us around the trees.
You dance, stepping
And humming a song we heard last night;
And I walk the bench back
Like a tight rope --
But if I fell, it wouldn’t be far.
Pizza box and two bottles
Are empty on the lawn,
Evidence of somebody else’s night
Last night.
You and I danced
Until we dropped,
Back to back on a chair at the pub,
My head resting on your sweating neck.
- - - - -
spring 2006
A Superstore in New Jersey
I thrust through the doors
The old man at the door unalarmed
Pushes carts one into the other.
It’s a bright new day in Wal-Mart
Where the music isn’t turned on this early.
7 am I’m fresh I’m ready I’m alive.
Through the lingerie I head for hardware.
Past the food and the drink
Lawn care greets me,
Bags of killers and bursting sacks of seed.
My cart confidently rolls ahead of me.
I picked it perfectly,
With no rattling unaligned wheel.
The floor reflects the light, polished,
As I charge, I surge, I feint
Into housewares, look up to the toys,
My mind puts aside automotive for another day, and I
Settle into home appliances for an intense investigatory action.
Reinforcements come! An assistant manager stops, offers help.
Gleefully I share my objective, my overenthusiasm covering my
Shame for opening a sealed box.
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Book Details
About the Book
Far As the Curse Is Found: Poems In Six Places
In this memoir of his early life in suburban New Jersey, Charles Wasilewski explores what he heard, said and thought as a young man entering college, relationships, adulthood and fatherhood. Topics range from a newborn’s heartbeat to sand on the Jersey Shore to an early-morning visit to Wal-Mart.
Far As The Curse Is Found is a book of poetry in a brief, direct style (few lines of these poems are longer than 10 words). The author explains the title:
“’Far As The Curse Is Found is taken from the lyrics of the Christmas carol “Joy to the World” and is a tribute to my parents. My Mom gave me a love of music, although without musical talent to match. Because of my Mom, I grew up loving Christmas carols.
"The word “curse” has to do with my Dad. When I was a boy of 10 or 11, I cursed at a kid in my neighborhood. (He deserved it, but that’s beside the point.) This kid threatened to tell my Dad. Sucker that I was, I believed him.... So I beat the kid to it: I went home and confessed.
I remember my Dad that moment, working in the family room in his green swivel chair. He sat me down on the couch and told me that cursing is wrong if done wastefully. He said there is power in words, even curse words, and I should learn how to use them, and use them carefully. I was relieved that day that I wasn’t punished. But as years went on, the lesson he gave me that day never left me.
“This book is about my love for words and what they mean to me when I put them together." -- Charles Wasilewski
About the Author
Charles Wasilewski was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Grovers Mill, New Jersey. In high school he edited the student newspaper; played soccer and ran track; and earned his Eagle Scout award in Troop 40. Attending Rutgers College in New Brunswick, he graduated in 1984 with a B.A. in English. He entered the business world as an editor for an insurance trade publication before entering corporate communications with three financial services companies. While working, he earned an M.B.A. from Rutgers Graduate School of Management.
Charles works in public relations and advertising with a marketing communications and branding firm. He is a licensed referee with the U.S. Soccer Federation. He lives with his wife, Kathy, and their son, Christopher, in Basking Ridge, N.J.