I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review. “Every day, I want to reach / inside my chest, dig my fingers in, / and pull my rubs apart: / let me breathe / until I burst,” (“Ritual for Release,” Bates-Hardy, 9). In Anatomical Venus, Courtney Bates-Hardy writes a collection of poetry where she takes …
I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review. “The first line/of my eulogy is this: ‘I would cross/the River Styx for you.’ I would,/I honestly would,” (Ramoutar 9, “Baby Cerberus”). Ramoutar’s newest poetry collection does a perfect job of balancing light-heartedness and grief, of looking back towards the past and finding joy …
I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review. “We are all having / the same nightmare, overcome / by an invisible, relentless enemy / completely unable to protect ourselves,” (Connors, “Virus”). Patrick Connors newest poetry collection covers a variety of themes mostly connected to the Covid-19 pandemic. Connors touches on topics …
“If they try to strip you / of your technicolor robes / show them how the sun/ the moon / the stars / all kneel to Queens,” (Austin, “Genesis 37). Someday, I will be smart enough to write about poetry. But until then, you’ll have to deal with this.
“Sometimes patrons ask if my full first name is Benjamin. Then they ask if I know what my name means…They are surprised to find out I’m the oldest of two sons and not the youngest of twelve. They look at me as if I’m wearing the wrong name tag, wearing the wrong name,” (Robinson 31). …
“I won’t/ be used/ without consent./ You think me/ easy to ignore./ Perhaps I am./ But only notice me/ when you have use/ and I will scream/ so loud I’ll wake the dead,/ and they might have/ some words for you” (McCullough). Cordelia, Ophelia, and Juliet gather beneath the trapdoor of the stage to retell their …
April is National Poetry Month and because of that I usually like to prioritize the poetry collections I’ve gotten ahold of during the year and read them. I know I should read poetry all year, especially since I’ve enjoyed the ones that have come my way. But it seems like this is a pattern that …
I received this book from The Next Best Book Club in exchange for an honest review. “I was waiting for its eyes to open, and when they did not, it felt like slowly sewing shut the sky,” (A Picnic [1], My Off-the-Market Magic Carpet, Niespodziany 57). One day I will know how to review poetry. I’ll know …
As you may have seen around here, I’ve been reading a lot of poetry. Well, not a lot I guess, but a lot for me. Since April is National Poetry Month, I wanted to push myself to read the poetry books I have. I tend to mainly read fiction, and one of my resolutions this …
“There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated …
Sarah O'Connor 