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A review by artemisg
Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
4.0
My attempt to become a poetry girly continues, and I think I'm starting to get it. This was a deeply emotional collection of poems, and I felt a little overwhelmed by the intimate and evocative nature of the writing. This collection primarily surrounds grief, and it is not a hopeful collection; it dwells on the sadness of someone dying before you could tell them everything you want them to know and not having that person around for the rest of your life. There is a lot of sadness here, but all of it is beautifully written.
Anyway, here are some of my favourite lines because I don't know how to correctly review poetry (and I'm not sure that poetry this intimate should be reviewed by Me):
That I recall every follicle in the failure the way they'll remember god after religion: alone, impossible & good.
Because everyone knows yellow pain, pressed into American letters, turns to gold.
I am starting to root for him, on his way to dust.
Strange, what a face can do
to a face.
I reached into my pocket
but the gun was gone.
Anyway, here are some of my favourite lines because I don't know how to correctly review poetry (and I'm not sure that poetry this intimate should be reviewed by Me):
That I recall every follicle in the failure the way they'll remember god after religion: alone, impossible & good.
Because everyone knows yellow pain, pressed into American letters, turns to gold.
I am starting to root for him, on his way to dust.
Strange, what a face can do
to a face.
I reached into my pocket
but the gun was gone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexual content