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A review by motherhorror
Burials by Jessica Drake-Thomas
I've read about a dozen dark poetry collections between 2019-2020 and if there is one thing I have learned through practice, it's to go into the collection with eyes to see and ears to hear. I think as a rookie poetry reader, it's important for me to stay out of the text, at least on the first run. Later, as I browse through the poems again, I look for subtext, symbolism, and potential meanings. If I go into a collection with too much activity going on in my brain, I have a harder time engaging with the poetry.
That being said, BURIALS by Jessica Drake-Thomas is welcoming to everyone. These poems are accessible and relatable.
The first one, QUEEN OF STICKS, establishes a strong point of entry for the reader
"Meet my lover, / the executioner. / He kills people / for his bread." (30-33)
I loved that at the back of the book, there are some notes from the author about selected poems (pg. 67). For example, the poem, A KIND OF DYING, was written after reading, PERFUME: THE STORK OF A MURDERER by Patrick Süskind-one of my favorite books. It made that particular poem even more menacing the second time I read it. I paid closer attention to words like, "hunts", "smell", "scentless", "specimens".
This stood out like a neon sign:
"He wraps my body / in fat-soaked silks / to leech away the desire / pouring from my being." (94-98)
If you're familiar with the story of PERFUME, this poem brings everything right back and I just loved it!
I particularly liked the Love Spells.
The repeated words became a drumbeat. Organic things like roots, dirt, birds, smoke, bones, trees
But also inorganic things like texting, houses, carpets, windows, casket, trophy, dumpster
and the contrasts started becoming very noticeable-a sweet juxtaposition as organic things rotted, faded, decayed, spoiled...I'm not sure what it all means but all of it made for a rich, cohesive reading experience.
I truly enjoyed this.
I would say that a few times, I felt my age. There was a poem that mentioned formals, and I wondered if that was like a prom? And then I questioned if the poetry was for a younger audience...but then I dismissed all of that nonsense and just kept on reading. But that did disrupt my experience for a moment. I'm going to keep reading dark poetry-especially when it's as delicious as this collection.
That being said, BURIALS by Jessica Drake-Thomas is welcoming to everyone. These poems are accessible and relatable.
The first one, QUEEN OF STICKS, establishes a strong point of entry for the reader
"Meet my lover, / the executioner. / He kills people / for his bread." (30-33)
I loved that at the back of the book, there are some notes from the author about selected poems (pg. 67). For example, the poem, A KIND OF DYING, was written after reading, PERFUME: THE STORK OF A MURDERER by Patrick Süskind-one of my favorite books. It made that particular poem even more menacing the second time I read it. I paid closer attention to words like, "hunts", "smell", "scentless", "specimens".
This stood out like a neon sign:
"He wraps my body / in fat-soaked silks / to leech away the desire / pouring from my being." (94-98)
If you're familiar with the story of PERFUME, this poem brings everything right back and I just loved it!
I particularly liked the Love Spells.
The repeated words became a drumbeat. Organic things like roots, dirt, birds, smoke, bones, trees
But also inorganic things like texting, houses, carpets, windows, casket, trophy, dumpster
and the contrasts started becoming very noticeable-a sweet juxtaposition as organic things rotted, faded, decayed, spoiled...I'm not sure what it all means but all of it made for a rich, cohesive reading experience.
I truly enjoyed this.
I would say that a few times, I felt my age. There was a poem that mentioned formals, and I wondered if that was like a prom? And then I questioned if the poetry was for a younger audience...but then I dismissed all of that nonsense and just kept on reading. But that did disrupt my experience for a moment. I'm going to keep reading dark poetry-especially when it's as delicious as this collection.