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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
A 2022 #SealeyChallenge read, made all the better for a book club that discussed one section per week all August long.
Devastating and gorgeous. I have been looking for a book that will give me the strength to return to poems; this one was it and more.
Ada Limón writes gorgeous, heart-breaking, thought-provoking poems. One of my favorites from this collection is "It’s the Season I Often Mistake":
Birds for leaves, and leaves for birds.
The tawny yellow mulberry leaves
are always goldfinches tumbling
across the lawn like extreme elation.
The last of the maroon crabapple
ovates are song sparrows that tremble
all at once. And today, just when I
could not stand myself any longer,
a group of field sparrows, that were
actually field sparrows, flew up into
the bare branches of the hackberry
and I almost collapsed: leaves
reattaching themselves to the tree
like a strong spell for reversal. What
else did I expect? What good
is accuracy amidst the perpetual
scattering that unspools the world.
Birds for leaves, and leaves for birds.
The tawny yellow mulberry leaves
are always goldfinches tumbling
across the lawn like extreme elation.
The last of the maroon crabapple
ovates are song sparrows that tremble
all at once. And today, just when I
could not stand myself any longer,
a group of field sparrows, that were
actually field sparrows, flew up into
the bare branches of the hackberry
and I almost collapsed: leaves
reattaching themselves to the tree
like a strong spell for reversal. What
else did I expect? What good
is accuracy amidst the perpetual
scattering that unspools the world.
I was so charmed and moved hearing Limon on the Onbeing podcast, I decided to look for the audio version of this book, read by the author. I so enjoyed it—hearing the poems come to life in the author’s voice, hearing her tone and rhythm and humor. I had never thought to look for poetry collections on audio before this year and now I’m never looking back! In this collection, I especially loved Sanctuary, Joint Custody, How We See Each Other, The Hurting Kind, and The End of Poetry.
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
Poems are not usually something I read, but I am glad my book club forced me to read some of our poet laureat's work.
Unsurprisingly, Ada Limon’s latest collection is both incredibly good at casually stabbing you in the heart with her insights and lines, but almost leans back a little bit to let you regain your breath in between the heart stabs this time around. Still excellent stuff!
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
