The Body's Owner Speaks

I won this in a giveaway, just as a disclaimer. I'm always honest in book reviews, giveaway or not! I had no idea what to expect from this but I was INCREDIBLY HAPPY just after reading the first poem. This is such a stunning chapbook. It recounts the speaker's experience with abuse and paranoia (caused by that abuse), that leads them to want to get revenge, find themselves, and live in a world where they don't have to constantly look over their shoulder. Insane imagery (in the best way possible) that's accessible and honest and that truly transports you into the moment. I appreciated the variety in form, in theme, even in voice. Some of these poems are unsettling, some of them are joyous, some scared, others angry. My favorite poem is, “Dream in which I Can't Get Away”, where the speaker imagines they're teaching a class and their abuser comes in the classroom and sits in the front row, only to be fucking pummeled. I LOVE poems of revenge, of justice. So this was particularly delightful. I also think people are very scared to talk about what rage actually feels and looks like. Sometimes it's stomping their head in. So I think this was a really brave choice and courageous chapbook in general. Only other thing I could ever want from this chapbook is more. Like...it could've been 10x as long and I would've ate it up.

There are a few lines I underlined that were just really nice!

- My two favorites were: “Thirty minutes left of pretending power”...in a poem where the speaker wields the most power and authority in a classroom (and then stomp their abuser's head in). I'm really into alliteration honestly. I thought this was also just a unique way of thinking about teaching, especially as a teacher's daughter. A lot of the authority we think teachers wield is just in our head, especially in higher education. A lot of teachers are pretending to have some sort of authority as a means of gaining respect. But they can be scared and undermined and overlooked too. Bit of a deviation from the chapbook but was just a thought I had!

“Ignore the wetness gracing your lower back. It's just purging”...as the speaker dances to I Will Survive. Loved the idea that the dancing is literally draining the fear, the paranoia and exhaustion, out of them.

- “Don't tell me to hold space for any hurt that isn't mine” !!!!

Love, love, LOVED this one. Thanks Black Sunflowers Poetry Press for sending it to me! <3