Witch

by Philip Matthews

Poems merge queer ecopoetics with religious disposition, speaking through a pantheon of mythic figures—from Jesus to Aphrodite—to commune or contend with reality. What emerges is a cumulative awareness of being a physical, energetic body in a fractured world, attempting to heal some part of it while exploring and embracing the gray areas of identity and ambiguity.

Genres: Poetry, Spirituality

94 pages, ebook

First published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Joseph Dante · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems will make you want to write your own book of spells. It is: queer mysticism, the foggy navigation of personal identity, the intersections of religion and sexuality. It includes: a genderfluid persona named Petal, angels, onyx and copper, the forest, the color violet, hydrangeas. As others have already pointed out, the language and images in this collection are lovely throughout, but I do think they can be a bit too opaque and esoteric at times. I think my favorite poem is "Houseguest," which is very lucid compared to the rest.

[Jen]

embodied and gritty language that often gave the feeling of being a witch in the middle ages, but if you also had a modern queer and feminist sensibility (and a love of mythology/story). whispers of plot but mostly just really compelling imagery and sensation - really liked it. perfect cover!

to the benefit of no one seemed to stand on its own a little bit/to not really fit; maybe it was intended to stand out

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Karla Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is a reminder to me that I don’t know anything about poetry. It is confounding and intriguing at once, one that I’ll return to, study, and reflect upon.

[maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not understand a word of this, but such beautiful language!

[Queer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spells. Incantations. A touch of hubris in our own creations and what people make of us. Queer = Witch.