Vega's 'Vision Quest' is a profound book of poetry that bellows clearly about different episodes that occur in the lives of gay men. The journey of this book begins with poems in lonely places, but it ends surging in the midst of poems that are displaying the intimacy of being in relationships. Vivid imagery and sincerity are thoroughly integrated within each of these poems. Snapshots of sensuality and the strength of gay men are presented in 'Vision Quest.' This literary work is an expression of art that provides pictures with artistic significance, which displays an appreciation for the physique of gay men. The stages in gay men lives in 'Vision Quest' is relatable, and I think it is an exceptional book of poetry.


 

The structure of this book is knitted tightly. The poems in the chapter In A Lonely Place are dealing with loneliness in various ways. 'Straight Boys' is the poem that stood out to me the most in this section. This poem is reflecting how heterosexual men willingly approach gay men, and sometimes even flirt with them to a certain extent. On the other hand, if a gay man was to approach a straight man; they would more than likely be offended. Vega provides us with a great example in 'Straight Boys' about the flirtatious ways of straight men who knowingly flirt with gay men: "You're a nice," he replied/ "If I was gay/ I would day you!" This incident became problematic, when this guy told his gay co-worker that he was just messing with him. Loneliness is just a stage in life though. The poems within this section of the book clearly represent loneliness.

The progression of this book led from loneliness to Sex & Desire. 'Milkshake' displays how sometimes gay men are looking for opposite things. In this poem, there is clearly a misunderstanding about the sex that the speaker had with the two men implemented in this poem. The older man desired an ongoing development of a friendship or perhaps a friendship, but the two young men were just simply looking for a booty call. Sex is presented in these poems, but the element of desire camouflages in the depth of these poems. Even though sex is great it would be nice to get the opportunity of ceasing your desires. When people can't get what they desire, they sometimes fantasy about what they want. Fantasy can be stirred up from the desires of an object, person or idea. Fantasy is integrated in each one of the poems within the fantasy section of the book. 'DL Barbershop' is the poem that intrigued me the most in this section of the book. The speaker in the poem is fantasizing about having sex with the barber while he is getting a haircut. Fantasy can sometimes leads to the possibility of dating, if a person is able to face reality and ask for a date. Dating can either encourage or discourage a person. In today's society, many people don't make actually meet face to face anymore. A lot of people are meeting in online social websites and chat rooms. The poems within this section represent various situations. There is 'Online Dating' which presents how dates are scheduled in an unconventional manner. Then, there is the poem 'You're Just Too Greedy, Bitch' which consists of all the wants that some men are looking for before they date someone. The dating section of this book is filled with many stimulating poems. In some cases, dating can lead to individuals desiring love. Love & Desire is a section that illustrates love in all aspects. Love can be toxic or it can be mutual sensual. Moreover, it can be confusing and the ultimate goal for many people is to form a bond because of their love. The relationship section of this book is the last section of "Vision Quest," this section is about the commitment of being in a relationship. There are many different things that a relationship entails but it can be rewarding. In addition, the feeling of being lonely is no longer an issue. The sections within this book build on each other, and the poems vividly describe express feelings, desires, and love among gay men. Sincerity lies within each poem in "Vision Quest," and the only way to fully understand the meaning of the poems is to read them in exact order. The artistic and poetic realms of this book is exceptional.

Born and raised in New York City, Vega is an architect, poet, painter, graphic artist and photographer. As a graphic artist, his early works have appeared in such publications as the Advocate, Blueboy, BlackOut, and In the Life. In 1989 he published his first book of mixed media titled 'MEN OF COLOR: An essay on the Black Male Couple, in order to fill the void of positive male images in the black gay community.' It included his previous illustrations of Black male couples and his first attempts at writing poetry and photography. Almost immediately he saw a need to provide a venue for other literary artists, models and photographers, so he created VEGA PRESS: African American Book Publishers. From 1989 to 1996, he has published 8 books : 'Men Of Color', 'A Warm December', 'The Tranquil Lake of Love', 'Postscripts', 'Milking Black Bulls', 'In Our Own Image', 'Phoenix Rising', & 'Into the Light', along with two calendars, and a line of products which include T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, greeting cards & underwear. With several new projects in production, he is publishing his new book of prose & photography in 13 years titled 'VISIONQUEST'