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Split Verse : Poems to Heal Your Heart
An anthology of poems about divorce. Poems are divided into six areas; "Marriage," "Separation," "Divorce," "Children," "Ex" and "Starting Over."
90 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 23, 2013
Split Verse is an anthology of poems about divorce. I was interested in the book because there seemed to be adequate representation of male voices, and also because I’ve read and enjoyed Campbell’s book, Solo Crossing. The book is divided into 6 sections, titled Marriage, Separation, Divorce, Children, Ex and Starting Over. In the introduction, Campbell and Duke state “Divorce offers a genuine chance to reengineer one’s life. Poetry offers sustenance to our imagination as we summon courage to envision new lives.”
As in most themed anthologies, the writing is inconsistent. Well-known poets are represented, as well as unfamiliar names. My biggest complaint is that there are no author bios. One of my favorite parts of an anthology is the bios; I troll them for new books to add to my wish list.
In “The Divorcee and Gin,” Kim Addonizio gives us a delicious extended metaphor. The words on the page describe the joys and sorrows of drinking gin, but they could just as easily be describing the joys and sorrows of one’s lover.
God, I love
what you do to me at night when we’re alone,
how you wait for me to take you into me
until I’m so confused with you I can’t
stand up anymore.
Peter Desey writes about appearing before a judge to have the marriage dissolved.
I can’t remember
what incantation broke
us lawfully. Did we walk
three times around each other,
say words that were a spell,
throw glasses on the floor,
stamp on a document with our dirty feet?
(Dissolution)
In “Nothing Elaborate: Nothing Contemporary,” Kimmika L.H. Williams describes receiving the final divorce decree.
Now,
the paper is filed
in a drawer
between past and present
Stephen L. Lyons shares a look at the children of divorce.
Here in summer’s transience of airport terminals
we pass our offspring back and forth.
And with each exchange they slip
forever into a space
that is neither mother nor father.
(Every Other Weekend)
In “My Mother Attends The Wedding Of My Daughter,” Carol Peckham describes a scene that will make anybody who has been there laugh and cringe in equal measure.
The guests are my history:
Sisters,
Two shucked husbands,
And the nice new one.
The attending in-laws,
Children grown
From old familiar sperm,
Friends who stuck it out
Through fractured vows,
My mother.
One of my favorite poems is “Margaritas” by T. Rochelle, which describes four girlfriends meeting at a Mexican restaurant and discussing “the elusive concept of sober sex.”
My hands-down favorite poem in the collection is by Nita Penfold. The brief, deceptively simple poem reads
All she can think about
is being in the same room
as her ex-husband.
The knives on the table.
(Her Daughter’s Future Wedding)
As in most themed anthologies, the writing is inconsistent. Well-known poets are represented, as well as unfamiliar names. My biggest complaint is that there are no author bios. One of my favorite parts of an anthology is the bios; I troll them for new books to add to my wish list.
In “The Divorcee and Gin,” Kim Addonizio gives us a delicious extended metaphor. The words on the page describe the joys and sorrows of drinking gin, but they could just as easily be describing the joys and sorrows of one’s lover.
God, I love
what you do to me at night when we’re alone,
how you wait for me to take you into me
until I’m so confused with you I can’t
stand up anymore.
Peter Desey writes about appearing before a judge to have the marriage dissolved.
I can’t remember
what incantation broke
us lawfully. Did we walk
three times around each other,
say words that were a spell,
throw glasses on the floor,
stamp on a document with our dirty feet?
(Dissolution)
In “Nothing Elaborate: Nothing Contemporary,” Kimmika L.H. Williams describes receiving the final divorce decree.
Now,
the paper is filed
in a drawer
between past and present
Stephen L. Lyons shares a look at the children of divorce.
Here in summer’s transience of airport terminals
we pass our offspring back and forth.
And with each exchange they slip
forever into a space
that is neither mother nor father.
(Every Other Weekend)
In “My Mother Attends The Wedding Of My Daughter,” Carol Peckham describes a scene that will make anybody who has been there laugh and cringe in equal measure.
The guests are my history:
Sisters,
Two shucked husbands,
And the nice new one.
The attending in-laws,
Children grown
From old familiar sperm,
Friends who stuck it out
Through fractured vows,
My mother.
One of my favorite poems is “Margaritas” by T. Rochelle, which describes four girlfriends meeting at a Mexican restaurant and discussing “the elusive concept of sober sex.”
My hands-down favorite poem in the collection is by Nita Penfold. The brief, deceptively simple poem reads
All she can think about
is being in the same room
as her ex-husband.
The knives on the table.
(Her Daughter’s Future Wedding)
April 25, 2016
- mostly fair, but occasionally very moving, poetry around the subject of unravelling relationships...
- the saddest poems were of the pain of children:
- "The Divorce: Children, we are sorry
To dismember piecemeal
Our little home
It's background
And your horizon
In its backyard.
And we are sorry
That our two voices
Will no longer melt
In your minds
At night
When you sleep
Into one voice
To guide you
Through the next day
And on.
And we are sorry
That there will be less time
For this and that
And much more travel
Here and beyond
To and from
And messages to bring..."
- the saddest poems were of the pain of children:
- "The Divorce: Children, we are sorry
To dismember piecemeal
Our little home
It's background
And your horizon
In its backyard.
And we are sorry
That our two voices
Will no longer melt
In your minds
At night
When you sleep
Into one voice
To guide you
Through the next day
And on.
And we are sorry
That there will be less time
For this and that
And much more travel
Here and beyond
To and from
And messages to bring..."
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews