allostatic load

by Junie Désil

A follow-up collection from the author of the astonishing long poem eat salt | gaze at the ocean (Talonbooks, 2020), Allostatic Load chronicles the lived experiences of a Black woman in a tumultuous year marked by global racial tensions. Interweaving personal narratives with collective struggles, the poems delve into themes of identity, ancestral trauma, and the relentless pursuit of social justice. Through poignant exploration, Désil unveils the interplay of chronic wear and tear – allostatic load – and the burden of systemic injustice and neglect, inviting readers to witness the vulnerability and resilience required to navigate the complexities of healing.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Junie Désil is of Haitian ancestry. Her work has appeared in Room Magazine, PRISM International, the Capilano Review, and CV2. Her first book, eat salt | gaze at the ocean, received wide acclaim.

Reviews

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent poetry by Junke Desil.
About dealing with chromic stress and its fallout. The doctors, racism, pain, treatment, even the silly surveys.

“on a particularly bad year-long stretch
of racial injustice, extrajudicial killings
work microaggressions
general climate of anti-Blackness
my body expropriated – pain
wouldn’t let me out of bed
my body – was this betrayal? or
affirmation”

I want to read more of her poetry

[Mik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im about halfway through this collection and I am already counting up the number of copies I need to buy as gifts this year. The poems are deeply relatable while also being very specific. From the first poem I knew I was hooked. This author is someone to follow!