Because What Else Could I Do: Poems

by Martha Collins

Because What Else Could I Do is a sequence of fifty-five untitled short poems, almost all of them addressed to the poet’s husband during the six months following his sudden and shocking death. Perhaps best known for her historical explorations of sociopolitical issues, Martha Collins did not originally intend to publish these poems. But while they are intensely personal, they make use of all of her poetic attention and skills. Spare, fragmented, musical even in their most heartbreaking moments, the poems allow the reader to share both an intimate expression the poet’s grief and a moving record of her attempt to comprehend the events surrounding her loss.

 

Genres: Poetry

63 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Born in Nebraska and raised in Iowa, Martha Collins was educated at Stanford University and the University of Iowa. She founded the creative writing program at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, and for ten years served as Pauline Delaney Professor of creative writing at Oberlin College. She served as Distinguished Visiting Writer at Cornell University in 2010, and currently teaches (and is available for) short-term workshops. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd ordered this book from the library (the joy of being able to pick up books curbside doesn't get old) based on a review. I picked it up while eating lunch and did not put it down. I had to read straight through, unable to put it down. (This is not usually how I read poetry, in fact although I bring home many poetry books there are not that many that I read like novels). Perhaps because of happenings in the lives of my friends I read this as though it would answer for me, for their spouses, the question of how did this happen? Why did this happen? I think we're all fortunate that Collins had to write these pieces, shared them aloud and was convinced to have them in print. I think of so many people who would find comfort in these poems. In fact I just thought of another person right now. Sometimes the inexplicable has an explanation, and even though it doesn't assuage the guilt, it helps.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mind-blowing collection of poems written after the sudden death of her husband. Her work here is evocative, elegant, elegaic -- one of the poems, written after she'd received the box of his ashes, says "what will I do/with my one spoon/and my empty bed?" (or words to that effect, as I'm too lazy to retrieve the book and find the exact wording.) Astoundingly beautiful.

[One · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the collection of poems. I wish I could know the cause of death and more about his death so that I can tie it better to him and the loss. Was it suicide, but he also had heart disease? I was left with questions, but I did really like the poems.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poems written in the aftermath of the death of Collins husband. There is a fragmented story here and I thought it meant one thing, reinterpreted several times and each time read through again, which deepened the story and the telling.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeeze. Chose to read for reason 1. Admired and bowled over for reasons 2, 3, 4, 5.

[Faiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first it’s like the mumblings of a bereaved widow (because it is) but then it hits and then his ashes are all over you too