A review by katherineharnisch
Only by Rebecca Foust

reflective medium-paced

3.5

 

There were some really strong poems in here, particularly at the ends of the Remember and Watershed sections. I am unsure if I did not feel as connected to the majority of these poems because of the content (specifically, I do not have a neurodivergent adult son) or because I paused in the middle of this book, then picked it up again a week later. I am unsure if I fully grasp the reasoning for the titling of sections (this is particularly true in the section titled Only). Remember and Watershed seemed to have cohesive themes, but I am unsure on the middle section titled Only. Some of the poems in the Only section felt as if they could be placed in Remember (for example, “Lies I Told My Third Child”). 

 

My favorite poems were “Collaborator,” “Sit With Me,” and “Blackout.” 

“Collaborator” showed the mother’s conflicting feelings well, and “Sit With Me” and “blackout” showed emotion between two people well. My other favorite was “Night Skating,” not for the emotion but for the scenic imagery. This scenic imagery came through really well in “Watershed” too! Though there were these strong poems in the book, I felt overall it didn’t feel as cohesive as I would have preferred.