scrow1022's review
5.0
Deceptively simple: language, phrasing. Lulls into reading the trauma, the horror, but also makes rooms for peaceful, quiet joy, resistance, and determination.
felishacb's review
5.0
Candrilli's poetry is life-affirming and life-changing. This narrative visits the past, present, and future. From one trans person's experience, Water I Won't Touch covers the heaviness of childhood trauma, the incongruence of gender dysphoria, the joy of gender EUPHORIA, and yes, hope. Candrilli makes me hopeful for a world where trans youth are loved and supported, where trans youth can become trans adults with bright futures.
"... the coast affirms
that lines are always changing,
and the tide tells me
my body can morph
as many times as it needs."
CW: domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, surgery.
"... the coast affirms
that lines are always changing,
and the tide tells me
my body can morph
as many times as it needs."
CW: domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, surgery.
lifeinpoetry's review
5.0
Favorites:
I feel surprised
by this new smallness—this body postanesthesia, post disposing all
the flesh I just didn’t want anymore. The world is growing
warmer. And it is true; I am smaller now, with a heart
that much closer to the sun.
— “On having forgotten to recycle”
Now, under all this
almost-newness,
I watch my own heart as it beats.
I look at my life more
closely than ever, and how beautiful
it is, just under the skin,
alive & alive & alive—
like a warm moon.
— from “On crescents & waning”
I do not regret my body / but I regret the hands of most / who have touched it.
— from “Transgender heroic: all this ridiculous flesh,”
I feel surprised
by this new smallness—this body postanesthesia, post disposing all
the flesh I just didn’t want anymore. The world is growing
warmer. And it is true; I am smaller now, with a heart
that much closer to the sun.
— “On having forgotten to recycle”
Now, under all this
almost-newness,
I watch my own heart as it beats.
I look at my life more
closely than ever, and how beautiful
it is, just under the skin,
alive & alive & alive—
like a warm moon.
— from “On crescents & waning”
I do not regret my body / but I regret the hands of most / who have touched it.
— from “Transgender heroic: all this ridiculous flesh,”
saborlitino's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
This poetry collection is a grounded exploration of the American trans experience. The lyricism in each line of Water I Won't Touch is truly enchanting and I found myself in awe of the author's omnipresence. I will need to reread this again to wrap my head around all of the metaphors, but for now all I have to say is GO READ THIS.
bookshelfmonkey's review
5.0
Sometimes poetry just hits different.
Some of these poems I couldn't relate to (as is to be expected) but some I wanted to print out and hand out to all the people I meet, just so they can understand me better. All of them were beautiful.
Unfortunately, I can't find anything to use for my english homework.
Some of these poems I couldn't relate to (as is to be expected) but some I wanted to print out and hand out to all the people I meet, just so they can understand me better. All of them were beautiful.
Unfortunately, I can't find anything to use for my english homework.