The Birds Come Back in the Spring

by Hannah Jenkins

“Hannah writes poetry that you’ll want to quote and read aloud to the people you love.” - Michelle Porter, author of Approaching Fire

Forming a narrative of one woman’s journey to adulthood from the ages of six to twenty-one, the poetry of Hannah Jenkins is an uncompromising look into the grace, torment, and beauty of all things feminine. The goal of the book is
to neither demonize nor glorify any one age of its storyteller but instead to retroactively insert kindness into the unrest of ageing and say to the ever-growing, ever-healing child in all of us: I hear you.

One night, my ancestors tuck me into bed leave a kiss-shaped burn mark,
tell me what I owe my daughters.

One day, they say, she will come to you
to know her worth
and you tell her she is resilient.

Tell her she is smart
and brave
and steadfast
and there is a fire in her belly.

Tell her she is just like her mother.

Genres: Poetry

60 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2022

Reviews

[David Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

With poetry, nothing is certain. The words on the page invite you to parse out meaning, to define - and redefine - your own interpretation. It invites you to think. I accepted such an invitation from Hannah Jenkins today, with her book ‘The Birds Come Back In The Spring’. Jenkins’ poetry carries us through years and experiences, through emotion and contemplation. There’s an almost visceral pain that can often be felt throughout; we see it in the words she uses - the cutting, slicing, and ragged edges - but more importantly, we feel it as well. For me, the most important thing in my own writing is to make the reader feel something. Jenkins does this very well. There’s a feeling of unease and fear in ‘Arachnophobia’. There is guilt in ‘Holy Water’, self-doubt in ‘Entrails’, connection in ‘In Defense of Evolution’, grief and uncertainty in ‘Placebo’, and there’s hope in ‘The Birds Come Back In The Spring’. Again, this is interpretation. How I interpret these poems may not line up with Jenkins’ meaning, but this is the beauty of poetry. In a way, we each ‘own’ the poem, as our interpretation is unique. It is our own. In Patrick Rothfuss’ beautiful book, ‘The Slow Regard of Silent Things’, my favorite chapter, ‘Hollow’, has but 6 words. “On the third day, Auri wept.” Jenkins’ ‘A Love Letter From My Parents’ having but 12 words, also reminds us that less can be more, and the words that aren’t written can easily fill the blank space below. Again, the magic of poetry - the poem is a seed, but we cannot know what will grow from the fertile words. Sometimes in poetry, there are lines that just strike you, stay with you. Some of my favorites are “A housefly hums in the key of F”, “Women with lies under their fingernails”, “Let her remind you that sometimes to catch a thing is all we were meant to do”, and “Burning women, who are never put out”. In her epilogues (plural, there are 5 interspersed throughout the book), Jenkins writes of the ‘long line of women’ from whom she comes. Burning women, bruising women, women who never got a fresh start, unironic women, women of folklore, women of steel and porcelain, to name just a few. These women, I feel, would be proud. In her dedication, Jenkins states, “I offer you my good intentions and a single grain of salt.” She also offers, to those who accept, a beautiful book of poems.

[Carolyn R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Jenkins’ The Birds Return in Spring is an example of the best kind of poetry, the bowls, and stems of every letter sketched with emotion. It claws open the skin with ragged talons in lines such as “This room lingers with the judgments of everyone who has ever slept in it,” and scabs over and heals with pretty advice like “Tell her she is smart and brave and steadfast and there is a fire in her belly.” A remarkable first collection. Read it out loud to your daughters. And then your sons.

[Shannon Green]

A moving and powerful debut collection of poems. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this poet.

[Teresita E. Dziadura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long loved poetry. My favourite creators being Bacon, Frost, Poe, Dickenson, Yeats and Keats and of course, the Bard himself. Today I add Hannah Jenkins to that list. Her words reach in and wrap around your soul. They find fissures filled with emotion you did not know you had and draw them to the surface. I look forward reading to more from this wordsmith.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Quel recueil coup de poing, déniché au hasard d'un marché public de St John's, l'été dernier. J'ai adoré la façon de diviser les poèmes par âge dans sa vie, j'ai adoré sa force, ses messages, sa plume. Je vous le recommande vivement!

[Matthew Ledrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing book of poetry. Some of these I've read over a dozen times, especially Epilogue V. It touches my soul as a devoted godfather and brings me to the point of of tears every time. Magical.

[aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was amazing and i loved every second. well done!

[✶⋆.˚ bri (carmilla's version) ☾⭒.˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written! I loved every bit of it

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredibly moving collection. I savoured every poem.

[Alison House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah has such a beautiful way with words.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly beautiful and thought provoking. Hearing Hannah read her written words was an absolute delight. With wisdom beyond her years, Jenkins leaves readers with much to ponder through her exquisite use of imagery and word choice. She is a master of her craft. Can I give 6 stars?