Old Monarch: Poems

by Courtney Marie Andrews

Some people are like monarch butterflies—solitary by nature, on a passionate search for somewhere. Critically acclaimed songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews presents her first poetry collection.

This poetry collection reads like a transformation, me, the narrator, being the figurative Old Monarch. Documenting this journey, the book is separated into three sections, "Sonoran Milkweed," "Longing In Flight," and "Eucalyptus Tree (My Arrival to Rest)."

In the first stage of my journey, I explore my childhood in Arizona, and the naive assumptions of youth. At this stage in my journey, I am impressionable, seeing the world with all its nuances for the first time. Through the landscape of the Sonoran Desert, I explore some dark family dynamics and what a child sees. Several characters turn up in the early poems including my cowboy grandpa, and the single mother who raised me, despite many forthcomings. The early poems also explore my desire to see a brighter world of possibility beyond the dusty desert island, and see humans more clearly within the confounds of discovery.

In the second stage, I have left home. I am falling in love for the first time, as I become a young woman.

Finally, the last stage is the old monarch's arrival to the garden. There are a lot of metaphysical and philosophical poems in this section. I arrive at the figurative garden, and I finally understand the journey at the edge of my life. There are a lot of poems in the context of a garden here, accepting mortality and the ever-changing world. These are meant to be wise old woman poems.
 

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Mary ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

TWs: Grief, suicide mention, slight negative self image

*Audiobook kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was insanely good. The audiobook is narrated by the author, which means that the words flow exactly in the way they are supposed to, and it is such a calming and heart-wrenching experience. The writing is careful and beautiful, and the way the author plays with words surprised me in a good way, as the effect created was melodic, shiver-inducing. A few of my favourite poems were: See, Sisters of the Pink Wood, Human Imagination, the Bridge and Ghost in Town. Absolutely recommend!

Until the next review, please stay safe and enjoy whatever you are reading ♥
~Mary ♥

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite poems in this collection: Young Blood Hill, Pretty Idea, Before It All, The Silver Lining to Suffering, Regarding Nostalgia

Overall, I thought this collection by Courtney Marie Andrews was a decent read. I picked it up not knowing she was a singer/songwriter until I read the back after I bought it, but I can certainly see the influence. Certain poems in the collection have such visceral language that truly cuts deep (looking at you Young Blood Hill), but I really just wish there was more of poems like that. Given what comes after them, I was often left wanting more.

I struggled to piece together cohesive themes. While there certainly are topics discussed throughout (various traumas, mother issues, growing up in the American Southwest), they feel more sporadic than a through line.

I think my biggest issue with this collection was just how cliche some of the poems seemed, especially the Monarch Mantras. They really just felt like something I would find in a Pinterest inspiration quote board with a curly font. Many of the shorter poems suffered from this as well, and by the end I really only skimmed those

Despite this, there are some really awesome poems within this collection, so I have settled for a solid 3 stars.

[s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reads like the fluidity of paint on canvas.
Lucid desert daydreams on paper.
Andrews has created a work of art.

[mike f. · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm not crying you're crying. real talk though, this collection is everything i want to be. so happy this exists.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this poetry collection. I felt like I could grasp a narrative running through it, and I appreciated the visuals and song-like quality of the poems. My favorites were: The Houses We Build, Saying Goodbye, and In Small Moments.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura]

Here are my favourites:

The Silver Lining of Suffering
Human Imagination
If I Were a Painter
Morning Meditation
Modern Nostradamus

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection. These poems were lush and evocative. They were deeply personal, but I found myself feeling nostalgic for things I had never experienced.

It is evident that so much thought and work went into each poem. Length, structure, pacing, and viewpoint all shift, but it works because each poem feels complete and contained. The themes carry throughout without the poems bleeding over.

I took one star away because there were a few that fell a bit flat in comparison with the rest of the collection, but overall this was an enjoyable and emotional reading experience. I will probably come back to this review once I've had some more time to sit with/process them, but I recommend experiencing it for yourself.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this knowing that Courtney Marie Andrews is a singer. But imagine my surprise when I go to google her and find out that she is a back vocalist in one of my all-time favorite songs, Invented by Jimmy Eat World. Loved that song for a decade and still didn't know who is featured in it lol. But of course it made so excited to read her poetry collection. And I was not disappointed, I ended up really liking this. In a lot of modern poetry collections the poems themselves consist of a few lines and they tell of something abstract. I've read those, you've probably read those. But not this collection. Andrews's poems are meatier, more grounded. They gave a great sense of place and nature. The imagery is easy to picture, but don't get me wrong, there are still many beautiful lines that I wanted to highlight. My favorite poems are: Before it all, Song infidelity, Dear dreams (very short, but evoked strong emotions), Human imagination, In small moments, Master of denial, If you are lucky. Old Monarch was a beautiful poetry collection and I will be looking forward to what Courtney Marie Andrews puts out next. P.S. since finishing this I've been listening to Invented over and over and I am having a blast.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[SassyBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.'

2/5

This is Andrews' first poetry collection. I couldn't really connect it, but I know with poetry that's just a hit or miss sometimes. Old Monarch is bundled in three stages, "Sonoran Milkweed," "Longing In Flight," and "Eucalyptus Tree (My Arrival to Rest)". My favourite poems were Watercolor, Drawing Desire and Lucy.

A lot of poems use a lot of references and symbolism to nature, and I think sometimes these references went over my head sometimes (as a bilingual and not always knowing all the ins-and-outs of the English language) and made me relate to the poetry a little less because of that. Also the references to American areas that would probably give some people some feeling of comfort/home, did not reach me. I think this book will be great for those who will.

The description says ''these are meant to be wise old woman poems'' and maybe I lack really connecting with them because I am not feeling old nor wise yet. I don't know.

However, I think someone who loves nature, who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing and who likes poetry, would love this book.

[Dominika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you loads to Net Galley for an ARC of CM Andrews' Old Monarch in exchange of an honest review!

Getting into this one was so so easy. I put my headphones on and suddenly I was transported into a world full of children, country music, scraped knees, and never-ending friendships. Unsure whether this was the author's intention, but I loved it. Her narration was so raw and so elegant in the combination of words that she used so that it felt like a blanket of wildflowers spread around me.

Old Monarch was my first poetry audiobook and it set the bar very high for the next ones. In addition to this one, I have been listening to Great Expectations. It was a relief to let that one go and get lost within Andrews' harmonic voice. The form was very pleasant as well and with the occasional music even quite original. One star down for my getting a bit lost in between the poems. I'm not sure whether it was simply my not being used to audio poem collections but I think that played some role for me. Would love to get back to a physical copy of this one in some time!

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me back into poetry! It was so beautifully written and hearing the author read her own poetry really brought me into her poetry more. Her storytelling in her poetry was absolutely flawless and I can honestly say that this book just brought me back into my love of poetry!

Favorite poems: Gratitude for Blue, Mother on the Lawn and Watercolor

Easiest 5/5 I’ve ever given a book!

[Marissa Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time connecting to these poems. Usually as long as I can somewhat relate or even just fall in love with the writing style I love poetry books but this one just didn’t do it for me. I would skip this one and read one of the many others I’ve reviewed.

[Kayley ⁎⁺˳✧༚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars:

Old Monarch is a collection of poetry broken up into three sections: Sonoran Milkweed, Longing in Flight, and Eucalyptus Tree (My Arrival to Rest).

I really enjoyed these poems and the bright feeling they filled me up with. I love poetry that makes me aware of the energy that surrounds me; poetry that really makes me ponder its meaning. These poems are beautiful and they read like a short and simple song. I connected best with the first section, Sonoran Milkweed, but I think this collection holds meaning that anyone can discern. My favorite poems included 'WATERCOLOR,' 'SEE,' 'GOOD VIRTUES,' 'SHIFTING SANDS,' and 'ONCE IN A LIFETIME.' Old Monarch is perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur's work and those who love summer, alternative country music, the outdoors, and the feeling of sunshine on their faces.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC ebook.

[Anna Tsagkari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to thank the publisher of Old Monarch for providing me for an Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley.
I enjoyed reading this poetry collection. The poems were beautiful, covering a variety of topics. Even though they didn't resonate with me, I appreciated the imagery.
A few of my favourite poems were: " Calculated Magic", "Reasons", "The Bridge", "The houses we build".

[Bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection begins very strongly, with a poem about birth itself, which the author compares to a window. It’s simple yet elegant, and it aptly begins a trajectory through different stages in the author’s life, separated into three sections, roughly three stages towards maturing into the person she is today.

Some poems were rich in unique imagery, such as “A Year of Valentine’s Days”, which begins with these wonderful lines:

A bloated red moon floats over the Sedona.
The universe is handing me a rose.

However, I felt like a lot of poems were weighed down by too much abstract language, which kept me at a distance. Some emotions and situations were highly personal and thus too specific for me to connect to, but the use of language that expressed these feelings in concepts as opposed to tangible feelings that a reader could relate to did not help.

Other poems were disappointingly simple, such as “Reasons”:

You loved me
when I was empty
until I needed you
in unhealthy ways.
This is why I must
get my fill alone.

While this sentiment is important and absolutely worth writing about, I don’t personally enjoy it when feelings are so clearly and directly stated in poetry. It makes it seem as though the feeling was processed and analyzed too much before it was put into words, and when it feels too “figured out”, the reader doesn’t get to meet the poet halfway.

One thing I found confusing was the mention of a lot of American locations, from the Arizona desert to Nantucket. At first, the places and states mentioned were all in the same area, so the landscape and imagery was pretty similar, but then it started moving out further and further, all the way to Europe and then back, and I felt like this hurt the cohesion of the collection.

All in all, there is some beautiful imagery in this collection, and some touching sentiments were expressed, but I also found parts of it a bit overwritten and distant.

[Michelle McGrane · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Old Monarch’ is acclaimed Grammy nominee singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews’ debut poetry collection. Andrews is the title’s old monarch and the three sections of the volume follow her transformations.

‘Sonoran Milkweed’ is a bittersweet, nostalgic exploration of her childhood set against magenta sunsets and Phoenix’s vast desert sky. Several characters feature in the earlier poems: Her cowboy grandfather who saddles his favourite mustang, Pride, and gallops off to Love’s truck stop bar; a grandmother who committed suicide; her single mother with crow’s eyes and a Muttley laugh from smoking Camels, and the ghost of a friend. She describes: ‘Eyes toward the stars, yearning/ for what lay beyond the fence’.

‘I ran from home, the drab depression/ imagining an escape from the oppression/ into the arms of big ideas.’ As she becomes a young woman and leaves home, ‘Longing in Flight’ traverses the territory of falling in love for the first time and the end of relationships. “We are more resilient than we know./ I, too, will live through horrible sorrow/ and live to tell you in a dimly lit bar, laughing.”

The third part, ‘Eucalyptus Tree (My Arrival to Rest)’ describes Andrews’ arrival in a garden of rest, where through personal growth and hard learned wisdom she accepts the cycle of life, the inevitability of mortality and the constant changes throughout her life and the world.

“I am slowing toward the meadow, where there is nothing/ but monarchs on milkweed, a rising river flowing toward/ a land of afters. I will lay my tired body down in gracious/ grasses of gratitude. Once I arrive at the meadow in my mind/ I can make it another day on earth.”

There’s something in these poems that I can only call ‘detailed intimacy’ and ‘closely-worked humanity’. This collection is rewarding on all levels — there is wit, rich imagery and some serious thinking. Highly recommended.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @AndrewsMcMeel for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[April Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"We are more resilient than we know.
I, too, will live through horrible sorrow
and live to tell you in a dimly lit bar, laughing."

Andrews is clearly a songwriter, and many of her poems read like the country song of my dreams-- and I mean that in the best possible way. She paints an evocative image of a childhood in the southwest that make me nostalgic for a part of the country that I've never been in long enough to miss. Stolen moments in Idaho, New England, and Europe tie locations to memories, and her references to many of the influential women in her life call back to the generational influences that drive her forward.

Poems of lost loves, friends, and family are interspersed with self-reflection and stories of personal growth made difficult when you don't know where to go. I've started 2021 with reading quite a lot of poetry, especially by my favorite musicians-- and I think this collection is my favorite so far. Her imagery and narrative-weaving abilities have me seeking out her music to get more exposure to her writing.

Favorite poems here include Gratitude for Blue, In Small Moments, Master of Denial (In the Form of a Song), Resilience, and Against All Odds.

Definitely a 5/5 for me.

[Nektaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you so much) in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my, I just finished the best poetry collection I've read in a while and my heart is so happy! It's been a while since I've appreciated a collection of modern poetry so much!

I don't even know how to put it into words; it waa gorgeous, absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed some poems more than others, of course, my favourites being: Once in a Lifetime, Sisters Under The Pink Moon, Small Ships, The Silver Lining of Suffering, Regarding Nostalgia, Prisoner of Her Time, Resilience, Saying Goodbye, Nantucket Midnight Storm, Cure for Apathy and If You're Lucky! (I know that's a lot of them, but I couldn't pick any less, all these are the ones with the most enchanting lyrics for me).

I loved the emotions of bittersweet nostalgia, consoling melancholy, appreciation of childhood, the dive into memories! So beautiful! I especially adored how vividly these poems shaped images in my head, familiar ones. How it presented simple, everyday moments and showed the need to cherish them by putting them in beautiful lyrics. I felt very touched!

This poetry collection truly made me feel so calm inside and put a spell on me! Very beautiful!

[Seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook!

I was actually a bit taken aback because for starters, I genuinely like about three-fourths of the poems in here and I had no idea that Courtney Marie Andrews was singer/songwriter. That sorta explains why I like this so much. In the wave of Lana Del Rey and Halsey releasing collections, it's clear that a songwriter isn't too far away from a poet. Of course, when I read Halsey and Lana, I read it in their voices (Lana's work should just be listened to btw), but this author didn't have that advantage over me, which is why I'm so pleasantly surprised!

Really liked this and will probably go listen to some of their music now!

[Selected Prose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of Old Monarch before an interview I conducted with Courtney Marie Andrews.

Old Monarch is a wonderful collection of poems from someone with the courage to examine themselves and their past with an honest and exacting eye. The collection is drenched in the mystery of the and memory and longing and pain and love. Imagine if Mary Oliver took her walks in the Sonoran instead of Ohio or New England.

Some of these poems are classics—rhythmic, deeply moving, observant, and wise. I've marked mine all over and will certainly reread in the near future.

I'm looking forward to her future not only as a songwriter but as a poet.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

In Old Monarch, songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews gives us her first collection of poetry. She narrates the audiobook herself, which I always enjoy so that we can hear the tone the author intended. These are love poems with a nature theme. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy poetry, love stories, and nature. I'm glad I listened to this audiobook, but I didn't connect personally with most of the poems, so I probably wouldn't read this collection again. I did enjoy the background music included at places in the audiobook!

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Courtney Marie Andrews has such a way of writing lush, descriptive scenes that made the poems so vivid in the mind's eye. I could so clearly see the mid-west country side, and feel the nostalgia on every page. With that said, I just don't think that this collection was for me. I couldn't quite feel the rhythm in the poems, and sometimes it felt like essays with poetry-like line breaks. Post reading this, I learned that Andrews is a singer-songwriter, and I think that her fans should definitely check this collection out (as I imagine there are shared themes with her music and poetry.)

[Emily Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courtney Marie Andrews is one of my favorite contemporary singer-songwriters. I was incredibly excited for her poetry collection to come out and I preordered it back in February. I was expecting to like it a little more than I did, although there were some that really struck a cord (listed at end). With that said, much of it was pleasant but nothing special, hence the 3 star rating. Will continue to love and support her!

Favorites: Regarding Nostalgia, Young Blood Hill, Saying Goodbye, Point of View, The Houses We Build

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old Monarch: Poems by Courney Marie Adrews

Listened as a audiobook narrated by the author.

Filled with beautiful imagery, this book of poetry starts strong, however I felt very hard to connect to it. Some situations were very personal and therefore hard to sympathise with. I enjoyed the landscape and sediments but it did feel slightly overwritten.

I enjoyed the music within this audiobook, Adrews performance was very soothing and overall a very enjoyable journey.


A special thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC of this poetry collection.

[Eric Susak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Monarch is probably best read on the road, sitting on a bench in a park you've never been to or looking over empty plains when you pull of the highway just to breath deep and stretch your legs. There is no place you have to be, and no destination you will not skip, if only to see how you fit in that place for a moment.

I could tell that the things Courtney Marie Andrews writes about are things she loves. Even in the sorrow, she cares about that experience because it meant she was alive in that memory.

[Shane Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

this poetry collection is so yeehaw i loved every moment !! even when i couldn’t relate or connect to a poem i could appreciate its beauty and reflection of slow living. My favorites were the silver lining of suffering, in small moments, and the houses we build:

“I no longer wait for lovers to leave or for the earth to rattle beneath me. i am here to tell you what a relief it is.”

Courtney Marie Andrews is one of my all time favorite artists so loving her poetry wasn’t surprising, but I am so happy i got to witness her art in a new form.

[kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars and i guess that’s generous. maybe poetry isn’t for me or maybe it’s this distinct form of poetry because most of that was cringe. literature is meant to fitting into a standard(a free and wide ranged standard, at that) and this felt empty in some places like blank canvases. if i wanted to read words strung together with no coherence then i would have read a dictionary. i liked only a handful but maybe i haven’t lived enough to appreciate the other ones. nonetheless, this isn’t something i’d read again.

[Akila Mabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like all of these poems were once part of or beginnings of songs. That’s how the book feels to me. And it supplies a sort of sadness and depth from past family and romantic relationships yet has a wonderfully freeing spiritual component. The red moon presenting itself as a rose - what glorious writing! She uses colorful, flavorful language you can almost touch. I read it twice because it felt like an adventure: a trip out west in someone else’s car. A highly personal and intimate flight taken on the wings of this Old Monarch.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something special. I had to listen to it twice to fully take it in. It is evocative, and deeply personal. It is inspiring and relatable. Courtney Marie's voice is a dream, and her words will nestle in your soul. Everything I want from a poetry collection.

The first Monarch Mantra really spoke to me:

"Do not spend all your joy in one place.
This is only the beginning
There will be many places yet".

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with beautiful imagery, this book of poetry starts strong, however I felt very hard to connect to it. Some situations were very personal and therefore hard to sympathise with. I enjoyed the landscape and sediments but it did feel slightly overwritten.   


I enjoyed the music within this audiobook, Adrews performance was very soothing and overall a very enjoyable journey. 



A special thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC of this poetry collection.