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The Time War Takes: Poems
In her debut collection of poetry,
The Time War Takes
, U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq War, registered nurse, and mental health advocate Jessi M. Atherton explores themes of memory, resilience, and healing.
As a deployed Michigan Army National Guard soldier chancing upon a Baghdad bazaar in 2005, Atherton found what she was looking for, but hadn’t known she a crystalline moment of grace. A reminder to be kind and open, to oneself and to others.
The small, pink quartz elephant was a surprise, one crafted especially for her by a young street vendor named Mohammed (call me “Mo,” he had said). On a journey of healing, the figurine has followed her ever since—through Colorado wildfires, trauma, divorce, and the daily challenges of motherhood.
Now a Minnesota-based nursing professional active in veterans and women’s mental health, as well as suicide prevention, Atherton shares stories of healing and resilience through the power of poetry.
As a deployed Michigan Army National Guard soldier chancing upon a Baghdad bazaar in 2005, Atherton found what she was looking for, but hadn’t known she a crystalline moment of grace. A reminder to be kind and open, to oneself and to others.
The small, pink quartz elephant was a surprise, one crafted especially for her by a young street vendor named Mohammed (call me “Mo,” he had said). On a journey of healing, the figurine has followed her ever since—through Colorado wildfires, trauma, divorce, and the daily challenges of motherhood.
Now a Minnesota-based nursing professional active in veterans and women’s mental health, as well as suicide prevention, Atherton shares stories of healing and resilience through the power of poetry.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 8, 2023
A friend of mine says that everybody's experience of war is different. Even people in the same place. I like to try to read experiences written by people who are unlike me and did different things than I did. Jessi Atherton's book of poetry gives a glimpse into her experiences, both personal and professional, in combat. Whether you're a civilian or someone in uniform, you owe it to yourself to learn about what other people's experiences were. In the poem "Poetic Justice," Atherton writes: "I thought I had / Nothing / To say / On the matter / Turns out, / I was wrong." I feel lucky that she put pen to paper about her war.
June 13, 2023
This is such a fantastic collection of poems! Even poems with titles that seem like they're light on topic end up to be deeply emotional. There's always a sense of moving forward and beyond. The smallest things can shape us in major ways.
March 15, 2024
Wow. Little Soldiers hit me like a brick wall. Many excellent poems in this book. I would strongly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews