A review by cstefko
It Shouldn't Have Been Beautiful by Lia Purpura

5.0

This collection was exactly what I needed today. Sitting outside in the new spring weather, with its impression of rebirth, Purpura's poems read like a reflection of my surroundings. Her poems are "spare," as they say, pared down to the essentials. Many of them reflect on nature and beauty, and the gratitude we feel for witnessing it, but also the necessity of mindfulness. There's a vein of spirituality running through this collection that felt honest and unassuming; she doesn't impose a certain viewpoint on the reader, but rather invites us to speculate with her, whilst grounding that exploration in the concrete imagery of the mundane. She handles the topic of mental health similarly, by using metaphor to gently lead us to self-reflection ("Red Bird in Snow"). There is a sense of disbelieving but appreciative wonder throughout the collection. It's as if Purpura is on the cusp of exploring the absurdity of existence, but draws back and chooses to dwell in the tangible instead ("Early Spring"). This was such a grounding collection for me. It speaks with the voice of a dreamer, but one who holds tight to the little things in life. It urges us to be present, and above all, grateful.