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mepresley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
4.5
These poems center around motherhood, as the title suggests: the speaker's mother, the speaker as mother. Several are about miscarriages and adoption. My favorite poems were "The Tattoo," "Town of Foolish Things," "Rummage," "Miscarriage Interpreted Through Animal Science," "The Initiation: Three Stories Up," Tasseography of Pregnancy After Miscarriage," "Mama Teaches Metamorphosis," "Madhouse of Spirits," "La Lectrice," "Brother, I Could Pretend You Were Wolverine," "Bloom," and "Bird Woman."
"The Tattoo"
...Never trust
a body, I imagine Christ
said to his fisherman & his mama
from the cross...
....
& I know Leviticus says Ye shall not make any cutting
in your flesh for the dead,
nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord
(of forgiveness). ...
"Town of Foolish Things"
What can I tell you about the parties or the boy
or the way I felt alive & dead at once for years
in the town of survival, for years in the town
of aftermath. An irrigation ditch streaming beside us
& me out of the trust, again, balancing the edge.
"Rummage"
...You've lost your job as I've lost
my faith, selling all our things:
our marriage, our love...
...How much?
is the only question I can answer.
"Miscarriage Interpreted Through Animal Science"
...the neurons
in her arms as if each had its own brain--
when cut, will regrow. When cut,
will continue searching for food then surrender
prey to mouth as if the mouth were still attached
....
What is it like to be an octopus?
What I'm asking is how we carry on.
"The Initiation: Three Stories Up"
This is how it happened that I came to break
what I loved & by doing so test the limits
of what will bend & what will fall:...
....
I bled
when I was a teenage girl who loved poetry
but didn't know where to find it save my skin
....
"Tasseography of Pregnancy After Miscarriage"
O mustard-yellow vessel I've become,
dappled robin's egg, circular globe:
predict the outcome of this improbable existence.
"The Tattoo"
...Never trust
a body, I imagine Christ
said to his fisherman & his mama
from the cross...
....
& I know Leviticus says Ye shall not make any cutting
in your flesh for the dead,
nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord
(of forgiveness). ...
"Town of Foolish Things"
What can I tell you about the parties or the boy
or the way I felt alive & dead at once for years
in the town of survival, for years in the town
of aftermath. An irrigation ditch streaming beside us
& me out of the trust, again, balancing the edge.
"Rummage"
...You've lost your job as I've lost
my faith, selling all our things:
our marriage, our love...
...How much?
is the only question I can answer.
"Miscarriage Interpreted Through Animal Science"
...the neurons
in her arms as if each had its own brain--
when cut, will regrow. When cut,
will continue searching for food then surrender
prey to mouth as if the mouth were still attached
....
What is it like to be an octopus?
What I'm asking is how we carry on.
"The Initiation: Three Stories Up"
This is how it happened that I came to break
what I loved & by doing so test the limits
of what will bend & what will fall:...
....
I bled
when I was a teenage girl who loved poetry
but didn't know where to find it save my skin
....
"Tasseography of Pregnancy After Miscarriage"
O mustard-yellow vessel I've become,
dappled robin's egg, circular globe:
predict the outcome of this improbable existence.
arolyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
courtneyfalling's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I love Jennifer Givhan's poetry. This collection reminds me of a mix between Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado and The Carrying by Ada Limón: it's a little surreal and fairytale-inspired, and it talks quite a bit about imagined children and infertility and pregnancy and parenting. Beautiful and solid.
Favorite poems:
Favorite poems:
- Karaoke Night at the Asylum
- Town of Foolish Things
- Why Birds
- The Test
- The Initiation: Three Stories Up
- After the Miscarriage(s)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide attempt
meganskywalker's review against another edition
4.0
Poetry isn’t something I often grab, it just isn’t a genre I feel I have the taste or skills for comparatively. I picked this up per recommendation from the artisan geek on YouTube. They recommend this collection of poems for their readathon fortnight frights.
However, with Latinx heritage month happening I decided to pick this read up sooner! While I still don’t think I will run to pick up poetry this collection of poems is so incredibly haunting and reflective of this author’s love of their culture and literature. It’s rooted deep in varying reflections of motherhood in a way I think all reads can connect to. If you are looking for poetry to read I recommend you read this!
However, with Latinx heritage month happening I decided to pick this read up sooner! While I still don’t think I will run to pick up poetry this collection of poems is so incredibly haunting and reflective of this author’s love of their culture and literature. It’s rooted deep in varying reflections of motherhood in a way I think all reads can connect to. If you are looking for poetry to read I recommend you read this!
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