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as the light of pearl play games in the shallows
lending harmoney to the walkers tiring tread."
From the opening short story, “The First Kreole Meeting,” Beavers makes the experimental and speculative nature of his compilation clear to his audience. In just a few pages, the strong worldbuilding of planet Kreole, such as cascading methane flows, and the overall science fiction elements are on full display. Unsurprisingly, the poetry exhibits a similar level of unharnessed energy in conjunction with insightful commentary.
Though poems like “A City Pub in the Late Fifties” have no structured rhyme scheme, the emphasis on men-only gatherings adds vital social commentary and speaks to that time period. On the other hand, one glance at “In The Mirror” is hardly enough to fully digest and relish the almost Gabriel Garcia Marquez feel of the story, where the speaker walks into a mirror and goes into the future twenty years. In the same vein, the back-and-forth dialogue in “The Carnival” exudes a surreal, dreamlike quality that probes into the origins of our fears.
As the stories and poetry alternate throughout, poems like “Note to Self” and the continuing narrative of Davine and Simon from the opening have short sentences that create a rhythmic quality to the work. “Careful where you Step” is particularly experimental and comical as its premise revolves around King Arthur offending Davine and her tiger Simon and ultimately being consumed by a magical pile of dung. “Winter’s Break” and the image of “icing on the brain” is undoubtedly captivating, but perhaps it is in “The Dream Director” where Beavers’ unorthodox style and talents shine through. In what feels reminiscent to the dark underworld of Hades in Greek mythology, “The Dream Director” is raw and revealing. Beavers' work is filled with frenetic energy and personality, layered with a deeper meaning that makes for a thoughtful and entertaining experience.