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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
!!! fascinating !!! compare to Carson's Beauty of the Husband please 4.5
emotional
slow-paced
I’ve said that he and I had been crazy
for each other, but maybe my ex and I were not
crazy for each other. Maybe we
were sane for each other, as if our desire
was almost not even personal—
it was personal, but that hardly mattered, since there
seemed to be no other woman
or man in the world. Maybe it was
an arranged marriage, air and water and
earth had planned us for each other—and fire,
a fire of pleasure like a violence
of kindness. To enter those vaults together, like a
solemn or laughing couple in formal
step or writhing hair and cry, seemed to
me like the earth’s and moon’s paths,
inevitable, and even, in a way,
shy—enclosed in a shyness together,
equal in it. But maybe I
was crazy about him—it is true that I saw
that light around his head when I’d arrive second
at a restaurant—oh for God’s sake,
I was besotted with him. Meanwhile the planets
orbited each other, the morning and the evening
came. And maybe what he had for me
was unconditional, temporary
affection and trust, without romance,
though with fondness—with mortal fondness. There was no
tragedy, for us, there was
the slow-revealed comedy
of ideal and error. What precision of action
it had taken, for the bodies to hurtle through
the sky for so long without harming each other.
for each other, but maybe my ex and I were not
crazy for each other. Maybe we
were sane for each other, as if our desire
was almost not even personal—
it was personal, but that hardly mattered, since there
seemed to be no other woman
or man in the world. Maybe it was
an arranged marriage, air and water and
earth had planned us for each other—and fire,
a fire of pleasure like a violence
of kindness. To enter those vaults together, like a
solemn or laughing couple in formal
step or writhing hair and cry, seemed to
me like the earth’s and moon’s paths,
inevitable, and even, in a way,
shy—enclosed in a shyness together,
equal in it. But maybe I
was crazy about him—it is true that I saw
that light around his head when I’d arrive second
at a restaurant—oh for God’s sake,
I was besotted with him. Meanwhile the planets
orbited each other, the morning and the evening
came. And maybe what he had for me
was unconditional, temporary
affection and trust, without romance,
though with fondness—with mortal fondness. There was no
tragedy, for us, there was
the slow-revealed comedy
of ideal and error. What precision of action
it had taken, for the bodies to hurtle through
the sky for so long without harming each other.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
emotional
slow-paced
slow-paced
I wasn't sure how to rate this. Some poems felt like taking medicine. Others felt like swallowing a blessing at church. I didn't follow some of the language, similar to how I can't follow some of e.e. Cumming's language. But I still love e.e. Cummings for what of his work I do get, and that's how I feel about Sharon Olds too. As far as I can tell, the popular critical reviews of this text are written by men criticizing the legitimacy of a woman's experience being left for another woman, implying a collection-length work about a woman's divorce is emotionally indulgent, and insensitive to her ex-husband's emotions to boot. Needless to say, this is one of those times I am very grateful for Goodreads... showing me that highbrow sexism is alive and well.
emotional
funny
slow-paced
I like how this book incentivizes you to slow down. That might not be unique and is actually just an aspect of poetry in general. But poetry as a craft is not something I thought about that much before meeting my wife.
It took vulnerability for this author to reveal her messy feelings to the world, thoughts that I have thought during heartbreak as well. The idea of sharing that with anyone, let alone complete strangers you'll never meet, is very scary to me. It's one of those books that reveals the beauty and comedy within sadness.
It took vulnerability for this author to reveal her messy feelings to the world, thoughts that I have thought during heartbreak as well. The idea of sharing that with anyone, let alone complete strangers you'll never meet, is very scary to me. It's one of those books that reveals the beauty and comedy within sadness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Death, Death of parent