This is another book in my vast poetry collection. Free verse published in 2013. Weise is an amputee and often uses the disfigurement in her work. The topic pops up frequently but also has considerable effect on her overall perspective.

Free verse poetry fans would definitely enjoy this more than any other type of reader. I would say that it is a bit dark and a whole lot quirky.

The freshness and relevance of the content. Even for extremely modern poets, technology and references to the current day are not common. In part, I believe this is because it would effect that "evergreen" status and limit their poetry to a very narrow era. However, I also think that it has a place in the poetry world and may resonate with modern readers.

Personally, I think it is refreshing to see titles such as "Why I No Longer Skype", especially if it results in lines such as:

You both grab hold of your machines.
You show your eyeballs to each other,
all impressed with yourselves,
as if your eyeballs have not always
been on your head. "Good to see you,"

I have given myself some time with this book. The parts that I love are truly brilliant, but to be honest, there are very few poems that I enjoy in their entirety. Most meander into 'who cares' territory for me at some point or other. As much as I appreciate her style and point of view, her phrasing only moves me now and then. It is a masterfully written collection of work, but it does not place her among my favorite poets simply because my personal preferences lie elsewhere. It is not a consistent reading experience for me, and I also love to read entire collections over and over in one sitting. Long, short, prose poetry, dull language alongside experimental and interesting techniques... it's just all over the place.

I purchased the book because of the opening lines of one particular poem. "Poem for His Girl" begins...

I'll tell you which panties
look good on you

psychedelic plaid
with ruffles on the waist

Consider me hooked! I bought the book without reading anything further. I do not regret the decision, but unfortunately, this is not terribly indicative of her work, which tends to be light on imagery and much heavier on conversational phrasing. Regardless, there are a number of excellent pieces.

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Created Jul 09, 2015 at 5:15pm • Submit your own review...