Lear’s commentary on the world through her lens takes audiences through routine life activities in a never-before-thought-about way. From the onset, her uncanny ability to connect two seemingly unrelated things through metaphor is exemplary and welcomes readers for an in-depth experience with her thoughts. Whether it’s the river flexing her muscles or the quicksand swallowing family conversations whole, the opening poem, “Inner Tubing,” makes the frenetic energy that will encapsulate the poetry compilation and captivate audiences. Poems like “The Velveteen Mother” ring true, specifically the imagery of a mother “shoplifting ten-minute naps.” Even moments of a mother and child eating an afternoon snack at Starbucks open the speaker’s time capsule and transport readers to memories of peeling tangerines with the speaker’s own mother. Perhaps it is this feeling of relevance to even the most mundane activity that delivers a sense of familiarity and comfort to audiences.

In another poem that explores motherhood, “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” the child, Jesse, leaves his coat on the living room floor, and in the most perfect of ways, the speaker morphs into a “BatOutaHell” and conjures images of the rapture. In every poem, there is a delectable takeaway, a candid critique of life in action. Lear’s poetry is imbued with vibrance, and in many ways, the compilation is a testament to the hope that the same vibrance can fill all lives. From taking ownership of one’s age with the description “pull taut the slack skin of my wisdom” to October maples moonwalking and the fall foliage depicting the passage of time, Lear demonstrates to readers how to relish all aspects of life. In a nutshell, Lear’s compilation lends her eyes to her audience so they, too, can see a remarkable world of beauty beneath the chaos.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Return to USR Home