topics ranging from motherhood, ecology, memory, love, solitude and parenthood, one may perceive no theme, no common ground, but that most basic message singly out clearly and simply: fragility.
The idea that all these aspects are interconnected within the fragile human spirit, within the mother's mentality, within the basic framework of a million mundane tasks, is beautifully examined through this slim collection of poems.
As a mother, woman, and human, my fragility while reading these caused several pauses and short reflections, Smith artistically shines a light on together not alone, despite our perceptions at times, "I feel
about birth the way I feel
about death: it should not happen
in a room like this, or any room.
I want the smell of soil or salt air,
dark pines, fire and hot stones,
Something elemental.
You should look up and see
not ceiling, at least not
first or last on this earth, "
.
Deeply moving and personal, Maggie Smith's poetry collection Goldenrod is a mustread,
In Goldenrod, Maggie Smith explores the world around her and reflects on her personal experiences in a raw and captivating way, covering in her poems topics like motherhood, divorce, politics, immigration, loneliness, nature, and loss.
"Do we know anymore what it is to be
human
I've stopped knowing what it is to be
human.
"
Here are some of my favorites poems even though the list can go on and on: Animals, In the Grand Scheme of Things, Written Deer, Threshold, For My Next Trick, December,, Ohio Cento, Half Staff, Wild, First Thaw, and A Room Like This.
i really loved some of the poems and thought they were beautiful, but middle aged white women writing about politics and social climate is not my thing.
however, the way that smith portrayed the horror of whats going on at the usmexico border in the poem animals was welldone,
i think what really made this book meh for me was how it didnt really have a common theme, a lot of the poems used nature motifs, but very few of them united, the titular poem, goldenrod, was nothing like the rest of the poems in the collection,
ive read a lot better,
my favorite poem from the collection is written deer, "What is home but a book we write,
then read again amp again, each time dogearing different pages, "
I absolutely loved this collection of little poems!
"How do we live with trust, .
In a world that will continue to betray us" A nice, accessible and nuanced collection, I dont think any of the poems will really stick with me long term, but I enjoyed them regardless, read for my alphabet challenge
sitelink Autobiography of a Traitor and a HalfSavage by Alix E, Harrow
sitelink Book of Night by Holly Black
sitelink Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M.
Valente
sitelink Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
sitelink From the MixedUp Files of Mrs, Basil E. Frankweiler by E, L. Konigsburg
Goldenrod: Poems by Maggie Smith
still haven't found a book for 'e', so feel free to comment with your suggestions! Loved this collection of poems!!! If you are an audio fan, the author narrates the audiobook and it is awesome!!!!.
STARS I read this collection months ago, but didn't review it at the time, In trying to remind myself of my favorite poems, I ended up rereading the whole thing, The subjects of the poems range from nature, divorce, motherhood, politics particularly gun violence and families separated at the border, Smith's poetry is very accessible but also affecting, A few of my favorite poems and lines:
From "The Hum": "what question/does it keep not asking/and not asking, never changing/its pitch.
How do I answer".
From "In the Grand Scheme of Things": "We say in the grand scheme of things/as if there were one, We say that's not how/the world works as if the world works, "
From "Written Deer": "What is home but a book we write, then/read again amp again, each time dogearing/different pages" and then later "What is home but a passage/I'm writing amp underlining every time I read it.
"
From "if I could set this to music" : "If I could come up/with a chorus, a bridge,/a harmony amp a little slide guitar/rising like a question/you didn't know you needed/answered, I think you would/hear me.
"
From "During Lockdown, I Let the Dog Sleep in My Bed Again" : "I walk alone in the snow,/squinting up into the big, wet flakes,/letting them bathe my face.
I tell myself/it is a kind of touch, I tell myself it will do, "
From "Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge" : "Until we find the right chord,/we can busy ourselves with the lyrics,/rhyming not words/but the ideas folded amp stacked/inside them.
" and then "While the right chord searches the air,/we can slant rhyme/what we know now with what/we thought before, We must be coming/to the chorus now, "
Other poems I really liked: "The Hum," "Poem Beginning with a Retweet," "Inventive Spelling," "December,," "Prove," "HalfStaff," "Not Everything is a Poem," and "Invisible Architecture.
"
I have an advanced copy of Smith's memoir that I definitely want to get to soon, as well as more of her poetry.
A lovely collection. I must read more of M, Smith!
I had to go back and LISTEN to the author read this because it wouldnt leave my mind, Like much poetry, rereading has improved it in my mind, Definitelynow.
And because I think Im Going to order this to keep, heres the long list of ones that really touched me: golden rod, in the grand scheme of things, poem beginning with a retweet, starlings, Rose has hands, if I could set this to music, talk of horses, inventive spelling, December,, half staff, interrogators of orchids, at the end of my marriage, I think of something my daughter said about trees, not everything is a poem, poem beginning with a line from Basho, junk trees, A room like this what else, Porthole, during lockdown I let the dog sleep in my bed again, wife for scale, bride, talisman.
Yeah, I better buy this one, Thats most of the book, While I am a fan of poetry, so often I do not feel a personal connection, rather I appreciate the thoughtful reflections and clever wordplay.
Maggie Smith's collection Good Bones is probably the first book of poems that I felt connected to as if the words were inscribed on my own heart and I was just discovering them.
I was thrilled to be offered an advance copy of the collection Goldenrod, While it pales in comparison to Good Bones for me personally, I still appreciated the quiet musings on life: parenthood, nature, divorce, politics it's all here, line by line, subtle but intense.
A few lines that knocked me out:
"What is home but a book we write, then
read again amp again, each time dogearing
different pages.
"
"I've talked so much about loving the world
is this how it's done I am offering
the only thing I have.
I am holding out
my hand, feeding myself to the hungry future, "
Thanks to Atria for providing me with an ARC, Goldenrod: Poems is scheduled for release on July,,
For more reviews, visit sitelinkwww, rootsandreads. wordpress. com.