⭐⭐⭐.5
Pre-Read Notes:
I was offered a widget for this book of poetry, and being a fan of the genre, I grabbed it. No expectations going in.
"At the end, we’re full and happy and left with a long list, a lingering lie that maybe we should have delayed living until work was done. Only, we never do. And what a beautiful thing that is." p64
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) Contemporary popular poetry isn't usually my favorite kind of poetry, but I'm glad I gave Rosenberg 's debut collection a try. She has a nice style and a way of unraveling her narratives that appeal to lovers of story.
The poet divided the book into 6 different sections: For our younger selves, For our friends, For the ones we date and marry, For our families, For our bodies, and For our minds. I only connect to some of these subjects, otherwise I think I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I still enjoyed reading this.
I recommend this book to readers who love women's fiction, fans of contemporary popular poetry, and mom narratives.
Favorite Essays Stories:
1. "Poem for Katie" p21 My bestie from childhood is named Katie also, and this poem punched me right in the heart 💗
2. "So I call my body "she"" p87
3. "A Poem for Aunts and Those Who Love Them" p70
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ I like that this collection emphasizes the importance of friendship and its various aspects, instead of just romance or biological family. It's a great topic and I don't see it very often yet, especially not in poetry.
✔️ It does not at all surprise me that my favorite section is "For Our Minds". "I am making friends with all of the women I’ve been before. Trying, really. I meet her all the time, all thousands of hers, one for each day I’ve been alive. There are times she’ll jump out at me from an old song or a photograph stuck between the pages of a book. Remember me? she’ll ask." p98
✔️ This poet is delightful. She's clever and offers an interesting take on her topics. She writes directly about framing in her poem, "Perspective": "...in every picture I am not in, I was behind the camera. In every picture I am not in, she is smiling right back at me." p110
Content Notes:
Thank you to Hannah Rosenberg, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of SAME. All views are mine.