I got this book this May, and I guess it was atop the stack of poetry books to leaven my evening reading. Actually, it would be far too organized of me to group my unread poetry books together–they get jammed into the bookshelves or in an ever-growing stack atop the bookshelves, where they fit. But I found this book and picked it up. It had a bookmark already in it, but I think that’s because the book sale staffers jammed one in it. I don’t think I picked it up this summer and then reshelved it.
At any rate, this book is a collection of modern poetry written by a (recent?) divorcée with bipolar disorder. Some of the poems address that head-on, and others deal with the aftermath of failed relationships or the highs of new relationships (sometimes through the filter of the bipolar disorder). A couple others touch on then-contemporary political themes and support for the troops overseas.
Attention to rhythm and some bright moments, but overall only meh. Better than typical grandmother poetry, although she would have only been in her fifties when this book came out. But she was writing poetry, so good on ‘er. Not a professional nor an English major–she was a nurse by trade then a mother.
She passed away in 2024 at 71. She would have been of my mother’s generation, roughly, but clearly lived longer.
