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qteabeans's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
A deeply contemplative exploration that centered on wanting to be pregnant and have a baby but finding that her body was unable to do so. A balance of grief and connection to the growing world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Infertility
nathalialvs's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Amazing. Limón has been one of my favorite poets for a while now, and this collection solidifies it beautifully. Highlights for me were Dead Stars and On a Lamppost Long Ago.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
woobeewoo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Infertility
zannayo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Only some of the poems really resonated with me, however they were all written well and enjoyable to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, and Grief
jasbeingjas's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
Content warning, there are poems that deal with infertility and mention of a loss of a child. I was not prepared for the ways these poems would make me feel. But aside from that I absolutely loved the prose.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
afternoonlight's review against another edition
3.5
Faves:
Wife
The Real Reason
Wonder Woman
Wife
The Real Reason
Wonder Woman
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Grief
Minor: Death
ekg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Infertility
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
This is the first book of poetry I've picked up since those Shel Silverstein books in elementary school. There's no particular reason why I chose this one from the shelf at my library, other than the colors on the spine caught my eye. I went into this with no expectations, nor did I know if there was going to be a theme.
This felt like reading a short story. Each poem felt like it contributed to an overall narrative of the author's life. You could see how the individual changed their way of thinking, and the conclusions they came to.
Because of this, the poems themselves varied quite a bit in content, the type of language used, and how lyrical they sounded. For example, we start with this poem, which is also my favorite:
This felt like reading a short story. Each poem felt like it contributed to an overall narrative of the author's life. You could see how the individual changed their way of thinking, and the conclusions they came to.
Because of this, the poems themselves varied quite a bit in content, the type of language used, and how lyrical they sounded. For example, we start with this poem, which is also my favorite:
When Eve walked among
the animals and named them-
nightingale, red-shouldered hawk,
fiddler crab, fallow deer-
I wonder if she ever wanted
them to speak back, looked into
their wide wonderful eyes and
whispered, Name me, name me.
About halfway through the book we then end up with this gem that gives some of the craziest imagery I've ever come across. (This is just the first part of the poem as it's a longer one)
The night after, I dream I chop
all the penises off, the ones that
keep coming through the walls.
These are the highlights of the book for me, so since they are few and far inbetween I found overall this just felt like an average read for me. The styles of the poems were quite varied, and there were definitely ones I liked better than others. I also caught myself a few times just reading the words and not absorbing them. It's why I went through this book slowly, as I wanted to absorb the meaning, and not get overwhelemed.
I feel like poetry is such a personal medium, and the meaning can change based on who's reading it. It's difficult to put a rating on that, and I'm intrigued to see how I feel as I read more poetry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Grief
Minor: Dementia and Abortion
ellalucys's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
peytonktracy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This, I believe, is my first book of poetry in nearly a decade, and it was a hell of a return to this genre. Limón’s poems are raw, vulnerable, and exquisite, capturing the beauty and the ugly in the every day and the full depth of emotion that can be within each moment. Many are heartbreaking, all in different ways for a myriad of reasons, but each one felt like a privilege to read. Just wow. I’ll be digesting this one for awhile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Infertility, and Dementia