Bloom in Reverse

by Teresa Leo

Bloom in Reverse chronicles the aftermath of a friend's suicide and the end of a turbulent relationship, working through devastation and loss while on a search for solace that spans from local bars to online dating and beyond to ultimately find true connection and sustaining love. Things move backwards, from death to life, like a reverse time-lapse video of a dead flower morphing from brittle, scorched entity to floral glory to nacsent bud. The poems seek to find those places where the natural world connects to and informs experiences at the core of human relationships, and at times call upon principles and theories from physics and mathematics to describe the complexities of love and loss. It's a book where grief, melancholy, heartbreak, and disillusionment intersect with urban romanticism, hope, possibility, and love. Bloom is all of it, the terrible and the beautiful.

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some poems about grief that I really liked ("for there are those who I would trade / to have you back among the living" or "midnight and beer is when I think of her / as almonds and Asiago / clementines and wine spread out / on the floor of her apartment") and some poems about relationships that I didn't ("There's a certain kind of rage / reserved for a woman / who finds the man she loves / in front of a computer / with his hand in his pants" or "if you were to be reborn as a martini / you'd be a straight-up, cheap vodka martini / the kind that burns the back of the throat").

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloom In Reverse is filled with loss, regret, pain and reflection. Leo has sharpened her skills to the point where each poem will make the reader react. These poems are very human, very personal and universally easy to relate to. She is an excellent storyteller, and very lyrical, as well. Highly recommended.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was by no means hooked on page 1, but once I got into her narrative, I was able to connect with some truly beautiful writing. These poems are elegantly accessible and offer a pretty fresh take on the contemporary female voice. Very happy I picked this one up.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful, gorgeous book. Brava, Teresa!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book.