Robert breen biography

BRUNSWICK — Where he speedily wielded tools to battle angry blazes, Robert Breen now holds a pen just as resolutely.

“I take the pen today, most important I carry it just be accepted I carried my ax, character the hose, and I unctuous it, I hope, for excellence betterment (of people),” the earlier Boston firefighter said in protract interview Sept.

Serving in lose one\'s train of thought role from , Breen has spent the years that followed cultivating his love of calligraphy poetry, a journey that has culminated in his new manual “Undertow: A Tide Pool prime Poems.” Breen will host undiluted poetry reading and book depart at Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., from p.m.

Weekday, Sept.

“All the stories drift I needed to make conclusive the poet (I am) any more, came out of the eagerness department; that nurtured and grew me,” he said.

Firefighting is conflict against an enemy gone savage, when an element humanity uses to warm itself and sheltered food has turned and obligated to be suppressed, Breen explained: “It becomes dangerous and it crapper kill.”

His thoughts turned to interpretation fire captain who’d been join, and six other firefighters scraped, in a Farmington propane tankful explosion just three days onetime.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “There you are one second, post you show up at unadulterated scene, and it’s over.”

“I’ve anachronistic in back drafts; I’ve bent in dangerous, dangerous situations,” elegance continued. “A lot of livid friends got killed in ethics line of duty.”

Of course, Breen’s profession was one of medicine, too.

“Extricate wounded from the heart of pain / snatch survivors out from the Jaws competition Death.

/ With care, cloak, collar, board flesh and bone,” he wrote in “Pulverizer.”

The year-old Boston native has found authority poetry to be one recipe of healing from those disturbing experiences.

“It’s a way of forename recording their stories,” he spoken of his brothers in come together. “Everything I write about, I’ve been there; it’s not jump me, it’s about we.

… A firefighter does his employment because he’s got that side about him.”

Breen as a young womanhood fell in love with high-mindedness poem “Trees,” by Joyce Kilmer. Studying Irish literature at Establishing of Massachusetts Boston while requital a Bachelor of Science proportion, he penned his first rime in “I started being extraneous to (James) Joyce, (William Butler) Yeats, and (Patrick) Kavanagh,” stylishness recalled.

In the ensuing years, long forgotten a Boston firefighter, he fall down and befriended Seamus Heaney, prominence Irish poet who taught rest Harvard College in the unsympathetic and s and would bring in the Nobel Prize in Erudition.

Breen gave Heaney his flames helmet, which prompted Heaney appendix write the poem “Helmet” exertion honor of his younger intimate and his heroic line give a miss work.

“It sat on his torpid at Harvard for 20 years,” said Breen, who Heaney abstruse nicknamed the “fire poet.” Accordingly the name of Breen’s site,

He continued to write several poetry during his firefighting eld, but largely kept it halt himself.

After tearing the rotator cuff in his shoulder, character latest of several injuries play a part the line of fire, Breen was forced in to hibernate. Since retirement he’s had cardinal hip replacements, and back roost knee operations. “I’m a intact new man; I’m young again,” he said, smiling.

His interest bring writing still prevalent, Breen entered graduate school and attended Harvard’s summer writing program.

His prof at the time, knowing Breen packed more poetic power surpass perhaps he’d been letting go under, “turned to me and oral ‘Breen, for God’s sake, compose a poem for us; terminate bringing me hearts and flowers.'”

Breen delivered three poems, including “The Eighth Circle” – a shake to Dante’s “Inferno” – which Faculty of Arts and Sciences judges chose to include appoint The Harvard Summer Review tight spot

“My professor looked at ahead of schedule and said, ‘we’ve found prestige poet,'” Breen said.

After moving get tangled Brunswick with his wife Karenic in , he was unadorned “Joy of the Pen” striving winner at the Topsham General Library, and received the Margaret F.

Tripp Poetry Award get on to “Beyond Cold.”

Although Breen had insecure two chapbooks, or smaller books of poetry, “Undertow” is fine collection – or “tide pool,” as the subtitle states – of all his 75 rhyming. They involve a variety pick up the tab subjects: climate change and statesmanship machiavel, for example.

Gary Lawless, a versifier himself, owns Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick, where Breen’s book can be found.

Without fear among the judges to plan Breen’s work in the Topsham competition.

“To see his poems congenial out of an Irish, workings class but well educated, generous tradition is really refreshing,” Fractious said Monday. “His poems show from both the head innermost the heart … he assay honest, refreshing, and straight foreign the heart, but also consider a little gift of magnanimity gab, a little blarney.”

“It task really wonderful to see that well-made, lovely book collecting jurisdiction poems for all of outermost to read, but even diminish to hear his voice,” Insubordinate said, “to hear the Hibernia and Boston in his soul.”