Gene Larson
You Probably Won't Read This: A Book of Poetry
Gene Larson’s You Probably Won’t Read This is a charming, easy-going collection of poetry that blends humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt reflection. Larson’s poems draw on everyday observations: a snail carrying its “umbrella,” the frustrations of golf, the oddities of English, corporate boredom, and the complications of love. His humor is intentionally playful and often pun-driven, giving the book particular appeal for readers who enjoy light verse.
“The Answer,” which imagines pyramid-building civilizations brought down by a national hernia, captures the collection at its most cheerfully absurd. The book also carries more feeling than its jokes initially suggest. Poems such as “Don’t Go Away,” “That Which Was — Still Is,” and “Missing You” address love, regret, and absence in simple, sincere language.
The prose piece “Lucky Me” is especially memorable: Larson recounts meeting the girl who became his wife and reflects on their 65-year marriage with evident gratitude. That personal history gives the collection warmth and keeps it from being merely a string of punch lines.
Larson’s interest in the natural world is another pleasure. He writes about hawks, whales, salamanders, owls, bees, trees, and two small birds seen in an airport parking structure. In “A Day of Wonder,” that brief encounter transforms an impersonal setting into a moment of unexpected delight. Elsewhere, the tone becomes more serious in poems about pollution, violence, faith, and humanity’s place in the world.
Overall, this is a pleasant collection for readers who appreciate accessible poetry, wordplay, and reflections that move between laughter and tenderness. It offers a generous sense of humor and a genuine appreciation for love, memory, nature, and life’s everyday oddities.
Star rating: 5 Stars
Summary: A humorous and heartfelt poetry collection that finds wonder, wit, and reflection in everyday life.
