Brute: Poems

‘'I am sewn into a dress. On Broad Street, ravensLurk on the Divine Lorraine Hotel.''

A striking front cover depiction Gleipnir and Fenrir by Walton Ford is a telling dark introduction to this poetry collection by Emily Skaja, the winner of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets.

A woman acquires multiple identities to overcome the pain of a broken relationship. She leaves the lover role behind and becomes a warrior and a witch, set to overcome violence, treason, expectations. She has to transform herself, to resist the vultures and the crows, the reminders of sexuality and death. Sleep paralysis, open wounds, cries, and silence.

‘'Soldier for a lost cause, brute, mute womanwritten out of my own story, I've been tryingto cast a searchlight over swamp- woods & parasitic ashback to my beginning, that girlhood-kite-wisp clouded by gun salutes & blackbirdstearing out from under the hickoriesall these fine August morning sotemporaryso gold-ringed by heat maze & where is that witch-girlunafraid of anything, flea-spangled little yard rat, runtof no litter, queen, girl who wouldn't let a boy hit her,girl refusing to be It in tag, pulling that fox hideheavy around her like a flag? Let me look at hertell her on my honour, I will set the wedding dress on firewhen I'm good & ready or she can bury me in it.'' ‘'Brute Strength''

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This makes my brain hurt and gives me more emotions than I signed up for!!!!!!