LISTEN TO THE BELLS TOLL
Once you look at the cover, you can sense you’re going to read a book with heart-wrenching depth excavated from memories of the past. The Forbidden Lunchbox by Richard Modiano is poetry written with a machete, using it to carve words on a bench, so their message can be read for as long as possible. Every poem shows the power of his chosen words. The foreword, the epigraph, the first poem—they warn you about the light about to shine on your soul; he warns you because this book is not written for everyone. You must ask yourself, am I ready to read words written with blood mixed with ash?
The following in-depth review contains no spoilers.
There were many poems I would’ve loved to break down. However, it’s the Hiroshima-related poems that captured my focus. It may have been because one of the most profound books I’ve read is called Hiroshima, and it left me wanting to learn as much as possible about this horrific event in human history. Modiano’s poem, “Peace Plaza, Hiroshima,” on page 34, parallels the poignancy of the book Hiroshima because it brings you to the annual August 6 memorial, and profoundly shows which country is not represented there while also showing you the impact ground zero continues to have on the visitors, especially on August 6, 2005.
SETTING UP THE INTENSITY
The intensity of the poem’s message starts immediately. The title drops you into the moment, but it’s the opening lines making you feel as if you’re there with Modiano: “Japan, August 6 2005 / The time: 10 minutes / past 8 in the morning— / In exactly 5 / minutes a bell will toll / to mark the moment / when the atomic bomb / exploded here” (34). With the moment set, the narrator then sets up the physical setting of the day and the emotional setting: “8:10 and it’s already / 90 degrees—5 minutes / from now and 60 years / ago it was 10,000 degrees / in Peace Plaza, ground / zero, the hypocenter” (34). Now, if you don’t know, Hiroshima has a humid subtropical climate, so by setting the scene like this, you can feel the heat the audience was feeling while also sensing the weight of the memorial’s historical importance. However, Richard’s next lines remind you that you’re not sweating in the heat alone, he masterfully brings you back to the present, reminding you it’s 2005 while noting the importance of where he sits: “and here I sit in a / folding chair with 500 / other people on this / spot 1,500 feet beneath / the detonation point” (34). After reading these lines, I could feel the magnitude of the memorial and the importance of this annual gathering at Peace Plaza.
WHERE ARE THE AMERICANS?
The next section to point out shows Mr. Modiano’s ability to write descriptive and poignant observations. He starts this shift in the poem as though he’s taking the camera’s focus off of himself and history, to show the present and Peace Plaza’s atmospheric message: “looking at the empty rostrum— / Past the dais I can see / the iconic A-bomb racked / building left standing, and / the white cenotaph where / scores of unknown bodies / reduced to ashes lay— / To the right of the / dais sit the big shots” (34). This is where he introduces all the dignitaries from many countries, including the ones who were “victims / of Japan’s aggression” (34). However, it’s the country not in attendance that leaves you with a poignant question. The poet asks, “Where are the Americans?” (34). This rhetorical question caused me to pause, realizing perpetrators don’t attend their victims’ memorials.
THE BELLS TOLL FOR AUGUST 6, 1945
Like a poet writing with great technique, he doesn’t answer his question because we all know who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM. Instead, Modiano returns the focus to the attendees: “Sitting with the rank & file, / all us peaceniks, Buddhists, / Methodists, Quakers” (34). But the question lingers, so the poet interrupts his observations to point out “—no official / acknowledgment from the US / government—maybe / for the best” (34). It definitely is for the best because victims need their safe space to express their sorrow, and having the perpetrator there would switch the focus to the perpetrator. With perfect timing, Modiano brings you back to why you’re there with him and the group: “The bell is tolling / 8:15 AM—the sun’s / exploding” (35). Using the sun to end the poem is a direct metaphor for the A-bomb’s heat, since it’s known to have gotten as hot as the surface of the sun. This is the second time he hints at this because while creating the setting, he mentions that “60 years / ago it was 10,000 degrees / in Peace Plaza, ground / zero, the hypocenter” (34). The poem’s tremendous ending and recall of the temperature set up the seven upcoming related poems.
BEFORE THE LAST TOLL
The next seven poems relate to “Peace Plaza, Hiroshima” in an utterly profound way. By the third one, I realized these are metaphors for the bells tolling at the annual memorial the poet was attending. They also work as an attempt to keep them from the third death, which in my culture relates to Dia de los Muertos, and works to remind us that these people once lived; it’s up to the living to keep the dead from the third death. The seven poems work to remind us of individual victims. One is about the lunchbox you see on the cover; the specific reason it’s forbidden is revealed in the poem and, unfortunately, is analogous to many subjects related to the United States’ dark side that are currently being forbidden from its citizens’ eyes. All seven are extremely touching because they show the long-term damage on humans who survived the A-bomb. The family angle of many of them is heartbreaking. The last one though, its depth compares to the chapter in Hiroshima called “Aftermath” because it shows how the survivors were able to move on while their scars remind them of the family they’ve lost. It left me speechless, wondering how many times the bell tolled that day, August 6, 2005, at the memorial the poet attended.
As I read the poems that appeared before “Peace Plaza, Hiroshima” and after, I couldn’t help but realize, this is one of the most profound poetry books I’ve ever read. I even have a note where I pointed out that it’s an addictive read. The book’s first poem sets the tone, warning those who are not meant to read Modiano’s work. Take his words seriously; if you perceive the current state of our government, work-life balance, culture, capitalism, and attention economy as being all rainbows and butterflies, then his poetry is not for you. It’s also interesting how some poems seem lighthearted, but then by the end you realize the poem was setting you up for an impactful ending. One even made me laugh because I could visualize him speaking to a hipster barista who was paranoid about having his political beliefs exposed.
Some of the beautiful poems were third death related. He never says anything about the third death, but when someone writes memorial poems for the dead, I can’t help but think of Dia de los Muertos and the three deaths. Mr. Modiano does a magnificent job keeping his family, friends, and even strangers from the third death; they’re lucky he chose to maintain their memory, giving them a pedestal of immortality within his book. He even has a fantastic prose piece about Bukowski that’s a must-read. By the end, you’ll say to yourself, that’s so Bukowski.
If you’re familiar with Buddhism, you will enjoy the Buddhist-inspired poetry. There are also political poems designed to induce contemplation, followed by profound reflection concerning their current meaning and implications for future generations. One examines our role in society; the one we all volunteer for as soon as we find it. A poem that surprised me, it was a deep look at social media and our manicured selves we showcase for likes, comments, and reposts, attempting to get people to hit the friend, subscriber, or follow button; how many people can’t decipher what’s real or what’s fake, and how they usually pick the fake to believe. Overall, The Forbidden Lunchbox by Richard Modiano is a force of nature, conjuring thoughts, changing your perspective on life, death, and the darkness of humanity waiting to pounce on anyone defying its power.
Thank you for reading our in-depth book review about The Forbidden Lunchbox by Richard Modiano. We are not affiliated with the publisher, but here’s the link to pick up a copy.
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E. R. Sanchez is the author of Fried Potato Press’s first young adult thriller, Petaco Dreams, which will be released Fall 2025 after the rewrite, new title, and new cover. He also has poems and stories published online and in print. If you’d like to read his work that was published online, please click here to go to his Stories and Poetry Section.