Some nights I wish I could simply sleep soundly
Clutching nothing but your photo
But some nights
The fact that you’re only a photograph for me
Now
Is enough to keep me up all night.
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Photo by John Ray Ebora on Pexels.com
Whenever I watch a beauty pageant
I never relate with the winner
But rather with the almost queen
So close to wearing the tiara
Like her,
I’m like that hapless poker player
Always holding the winning card too late.
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Gallery Books
Price: $14.99 (paperback)
In this stunning third collection from Madisen Kuhn, Madisen eloquently analyzes some of life’s universal themes within the framework of a house. Whether it’s the garden, the bedroom, or the front porch, Madisen takes you into her own “home,” sharing some of the most intimate parts of her life so that you might also, someday, feel free to share some of yours.
Filled with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations from Melody Hansen, this boldly intimate, preternaturally wise, and emotionally candid collection encourages you to consider what home means to you—whether it’s in the lush, green-lawned suburbs or a city apartment—and, more importantly, explores how you can find it even when home feels like it’s on the far-off horizon.
For someone like me who has been on the move since I was born, reading a book that explores the meaning of home was very relatable. What’s the difference between a house and a home? And how do you know when one feels just like a house and what makes a home a home? The poetry is very heartfelt and emotional. For some home is a physical place or location, while for others the meaning of home is a person. What makes us feel at home? Ultimately, it’s the place where we feel safe.
One of the most poignant lines was, “I am jealous of what you have but not of who you are. Regardless it withers me.” I’m sure many people have often felt this way, feeling envious of what someone may have but not being particularly keen on the person in question.
Many of the poems explore the meaning of finding a home within a person. I think that we all yearn to feel at home with someone, although oftentimes that is merely a mirage and we’re far lonelier together than when we are alone.
This poetry collection really hits a nerve for me because of my incessant search to feel at home. If you’re a fan of Rupi Kaur or Amanda Lovelace, then this book is for you.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Release Date: November 27, 2018
Price: $13.01 (paperback)
Publisher: Button Poetry
Andrea Gibson’s latest collection is a masterful showcase from the poet whose writing and performances have captured the hearts of millions. With artful and nuanced looks at gender, romance, loss, and family, Lord of the Butterflies is a new peak in Gibson’s career. Each emotion here is deft and delicate, resting inside of imagery heavy enough to sink the heart while giving the body wings to soar.
Andrea Gibson has been one of the most potent voices in poetry for the LGBTQ community at large. Although since this genre of poetry (spoken poetry) is best consumed if heard live (or watching a video of one of their readings), I suggest that in conjunction to reading this book that you also see them live, because they’re a force to be reckoned with. The poetry comes alive in ways that wouldn’t be able to on print, making you feel just how raw, visceral, and gut-wrenching this experience can truly be.
Many of the topics they explore are things that society is still dealing with such as gender identity, gun control, homophobia, and mental illness. I’m usually not a huge fan of contemporary poets as for someone who majored in Classics, I’ve got a penchant for the likes of Charles Baudelaire, Poe, John Keats, and William Blake. However, much like Sylvia Plath in her days, Andrea Gibson has the courage to shed her skin and allow us to see what’s inside and challenging us to do the same.
I recommend this book if you’re okay with having to nurse a cracked heart afterward because Gibson’s poems cut deep.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Button Poetry for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I took a shortcut through blood to get back to you.
I knew that your gaping wounds were still fairly new
For you to be able to finally let it all go.
You need this injection to get through this night.
I really hope now that you adore me as much as your dragon
Because after three years of battling against it
I have nothing to show but pure frigid waters that hang like
Lonely icicles from my eyes.
But when you’ve been smoking for too long
And Memnoch is walking in your shoes,
The only thing that surrounds you is a musky-drugged fog.
While the stage that we’re on becomes a broken ashtray
And, I the protagonist, a butted Marlboro.
“It’s only a matter of trust,” you say.
But when your favorite lover is White Eve instead of me
I do not have much trust left in me.
You carve my name into your arm
Thinking that I should be impressed.
But your gesture does not scream your love,
It merely whispers your derangement.
I wish I could drag you across filed nails,
So you would become pristine.
But I can only kiss you with these bruised lips,
Hoping that you will come around (for more).
Although you don’t seem to care
As you take another line from my breasts.
Your ocean eyes wander over space and time
Snatching the stoned affection you can find.
“Please don’t die,” I beg you.
I know of your secret lovers
That you keep hidden beneath black satin covers.
They’re going to blow your mind one of these days
Just as they did with all the others.
If only I could bring it all back to you
But there’s nothing I can do
Because you’re Poe without a muse,
Who merely craves for silver rockets
And playing Russian roulette with five bullets.
The smoke rises up and around your solar plexus
All I am for you is a Plastic Venus,
Ideal for viewing but not for loving.
You bestow your worship to the Green Goddess instead
Because she can let you see Heaven and Hell in your bed.
But remember that I now hold the power
Because I’ve raped all your lovers.
You’ll need to beg me before I’ll shoot you up.
I know how to fight back with an empty gun loaded with placebos.
By: Azzurra Nox
The Inkblotters 