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It was worth it, and I don't regret it for a second."
In Janssen's latest poetry compilation, the darkness and pain from Ruined and Nightmares give way to a hopeful outlook. However, the same raw vulnerability infuses this work and brings each poem to life. Janssen's poetry embodies the saying "It's always darkest before dawn," as there is discernible healing from her previous works. While the prose is aesthetically pleasing, the poet's ability to evoke emotion through the unfolding narrative is unparalleled. Almost a personal introspection, Janssen probes deep into the depths of her spirit to deliver poetry that is highly relatable and reflects what it means to experience the highs and lows of being human.
In poems like "Let Me Dance," Janssen conveys feelings of suffocation, being trapped within the confines of the body due to an injury that had robbed her of the graceful movements that had become second nature during her professional ballet career. Verses like "Giving up has never been my style / Fighting has" capture her warrior spirit and help the reader intimately experience Janssen's internal struggle. While the work does not exhibit any particular rhyme scheme, the narrative flow is seamless, transferring energetically from one poem to another as though peeling back layer upon layer of Janssen's persona.
Poems like "Same Experience" and "Conditional" allude to the pain of mental and emotional abuse. The visceral imagery of the poet running away from the soul-crushing relationship, magnified by the repetition of "run" is a testament to the speaker's resilience and unyielding determination to rise above the toxicity. More than anything else, poems like "Intruders and Invaders" highlight the importance of protecting one's peace, often from those whom we believe are dearest to us. The section of reflective poetry that explores themes from regret to grief fades, and Janssen, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, introduces the namesake section, "Inked," where audiences can begin to see her true, unfiltered identity take shape as she takes control of her own life narrative.
Whether it's a steady dose of quatrains or couplets, Janssen's poetry displays a strong command of figurative language, impeccably using everything from simile and metaphor to alliteration and enjambment to create a vivid, enriching experience for her audience. Metaphors like "I'm a walking art exhibition," for instance, create a searing image in the reader's mind of her tattoos as a window into her essence.
With the compilation reaching the final stretch, the poet delivers "Loved," a series of poems that embraces the sibling bond, spearheaded by pieces such as "Brother, I Deserve" and "Unexpected Sister." Undoubtedly, these poems depict sibling bonds that endure despite the best attempts of forces working against them. The cadence of the poems builds to a natural completion with the tenor changing dramatically to one of a free, liberated spirit that could simply step into her best self and feel all of what life has to offer. Above all else, Janssen's poetry compilation is one of resilience and recognition, a journey of meeting the self she was always destined to be. Through energetic prose and an uncanny demonstration of her vulnerability, this same spirit of recognition carries over to her readers, creating a potential for awakening one's dormant inner spirit and reclaiming one's life from a turbulent past.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 2026 Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short List book