Nothing In-Between

by Marybeth Rua-Larsen

“This poet shows a flair for the aesthetic as well as unusually juxtaposed ideas… clever poetic technique and beautiful sensual imagery.” ~ Elaine Feeney, Judge of the 2011 Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Competition. “Very substantial and exact… a lovely exchange, a way of continuing life.” ~ David Constantine Hands To smooth the hair, to hush the lips

To squeeze the flesh below the hips To feed the fire in small degrees

To test the strength of no and please To seize the book, to mark the page

To slam it shut and bar the cage To spring the bird, to melt the snow

To linger on what too few know To smudge the ink, to white the lines

To blunt the edge and blur the signs To skip the stone or fling it wide

To catch what falls or tries to hide To blind the eyes, to free the will

To pull the trigger or keep still

Genres: Poetry

58 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2014

Reviews

[Rose Kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marybeth Rua-Larsen is a poet who can't be pigeonholed. Her poems have a spontaneity and playfulness that's sometimes lacking in New Formalist poetry, and a concision and musicality that's sometimes lacking in mainstream poetry. Thematically this collection has both a feminist slant and a fun-loving, often sexy sensibility (though the fact that I feel compelled to point that out, as though those two things were somehow mutually exclusive, is kind of troubling). I am not one of those who believe that poetry is all about language, and that content and point of view are irrelevant; I like reading writers who are interested in and/or pissed off by the same things as me; but craft is important too, and I'm fond of rhyme and meter, so I enjoyed this book on more than one level.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems take risks, effortlessly weaving together the fantastic world of fairy tale and myth with the darkness--and occasional joy--of contemporary life. A small, perfect collection.