What We Lost in the Swamp: Poems

by Grant Chemidlin

is a lush and vibrant collection of poems that examines the many manifestations of green: nature, inexperience, jealousy, burgeoning love, and exploring sexuality. It is a slow unfurling. It is a love letter to growth, to rediscovery, to finally learning how to speak the truth. These astonishing poems ask the reader: Who do you want to be in this world? How do you want to build a life?
 

Genres: Poetry, Queer, LGBT, Gay, Romance, Anthologies, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2023

About the author

Grant Chemidlin is the author of What We Lost in the Swamp (Central Avenue Poetry, 2023), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His newest collection, In the Middle of a Better World, will be published by Central Avenue Poetry in February 2026. Recent poems can be found in The Los Angeles Review, Palette Poetry, Laurel Review, Quarterly West, and the Academy of American Poets, among others. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband and cat.

Reviews

[Grant Chemidlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope you enjoy this second collection as much as I enjoyed writing it!

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorites: When I realized I was a green tree frog in another life, What we lost in the swamp, The swan, Dog days, Touchdown, Tour de force, The ways I photosynthesize, Sally (when there's nothing left to sell), Troubles, Living room with a view, Sandbox

[mike f. · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was relatable and delicious lol

[Luke Lords · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly beautiful. This is one of those collections that will stay with you for forever. A glint of hope was found in the book for me.

[mila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Poetry books are always incredibly difficult to review, and this one is definitely no exception. And as always, there were poems that inevitably fell a bit short compared to some others in the collection. Overall, What We Lost in the Swamp is a very interesting collection, using nature analogy and comparisons to express a variety of emotions, ranging from topics of relationship, sexuality, jealously, personal growth and so on.

As in topics, the form of the poems also expresses variety. some of the poems are more detailed, more intricate, with richer language and story, while some are shorter and to the point. While one is not necessarily better than the other, the longer, more complex poems in this book ended up working better for me overall.

Some of the topics did seem slightly watered down, as to appeal to a larger audience, and maybe my lack of personal connection to it is the biggest issue but there was a poem in particular that left me a bit perplexed. There were, though, quite a few poems I really enjoyed, my Y being Tour de Force, The Garden Gate, Die Hard, Pockets, Letter to my Former Self .

All of that said, I would recommend this book if you're looking for a quick collection that deals with Introspection and identity and finding yourself!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for all honest review!

[Luke Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How fast the sandbox turns into an hourglass…”

I chose to kick off Pride Month with Grant Chemidlin’s thoroughly devastating and somehow hopeful collection of poems “What We Lost In The Swamp.”

Poetry is not something I’m typically drawn to when I decide to sit down and read something. This particular collection of poems was surprisingly accessible and pleasant for me, telling a story in short, harrowing chunks.

There’s a specificity to Chemidlin’s prose that most gays will understand in their bones, a restless longing that feels impossible to explain and yet Grant Chemidlin found a way, and the result is brutal and honest.

It would be a crime share all the multiple stanzas that resonated with me, but I will say that “Touchdown,” “Troubles,” and “Meet and Greet were especially important entries for me.

My recommendation is to not read this all in one sitting, like I did. Instead, pour a cup of coffee every morning and read one or two poems. Maybe another one at lunch, and another before bed. Stretch it out over days, even weeks, and wait for that magical moment when a specific poem reverberates with your mood at the perfect time, and you feel seen and understood for the first time in a long time.

What We Lost In The Swamp is filled with those moments.

[Darrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry was both beautiful and relatable. I normally read poetry as a palette cleanser between books or when I feel like having a more casual read, but I read this one fairly quickly.

I haven’t read a lot of queer poetry but I think this collection has hit the deepest for me. I had such similar life experiences so it definitely pulled on my heart strings. The talk of self discovery and identity was beautifully done.

If you don’t normally read poetry or want to start, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend picking this up. Whether you’re straight, gay, old, or young, there’s something in here that you can definitely relate to.

[Nelli Lakatos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really beautiful poetry book about self discovery.
I really enjoyed my time reading this book, the poems were accessible and amazing!
I highly recommend reading this poetry collection for everyone!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this wandered into the dim terrain of my moss covered soul and ignited a lantern.

“If there really is
a god
up there,
I hope she’ll answer
just one
prayer.

Please,
oh lord,
persuade me to
believe
not in you
but myself.’

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

What we gained by reading this poetry book? EVERYTHING.

[Dylan Render · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to connect and relate from coming out, growing, and becoming comfortable with who you are.

[Andrew Eder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idk how you really rate poetry books because there were like 100 poems but this was the first poetry book I read that I really found some pieces that made me stop and thing and process? Not every poem is a 10/10 to me by any means but the ones that were good were great and I will probably reread this often!!

[Michael Daniels]

Good book of gay poems

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I did a little ✨special order✨ from my (and all of Chicago’s) favorite local bookstore, Women & Children First because I was booktok influenced!!! (The author showed up on my fyp.)

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole collection. My favorites were The Stoner Safari, Space Walks, and Pockets.

Each poem is a well-crafted, tender moment, but that’s where I was left at.

Everything felt like just a brief moment. I was waiting and left wanting—wanting to be engulfed in the waters of this little swamp, or to be tripped by an unseen root, or to have an alligator snap at me, if you will. But my poetry literacy is quite bad, honestly, so I think that’s actually probably what was lost. 😅

I will definitely be revisiting this again, though, so we’ll see!

[Geri Tisdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC
Publication date: May 2, 2023

I am blown away. After reading just the first poem, I was entranced, feeling like I was reading about myself.

It's always great to read the works of a queer writer, and this is just another to add to the list.

These poems are above love, loss, and self discovery. Things we have all been through, and things that bring us all together.

-

"Because prey sees prey, and I was keen on all of their cleverness, their tactics to survive."

"Good at writing doesn't mean I am brave. All I ever do is make the words walk the plank, while I stay dry."

"Paint the world a safer place."

[aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

This collection was, simply put, stunning. I tore through the pages, and highlighted lines more often than I did not I think. It is a beautiful representation of queerness and love and loss. "The Breaking" in particular was one of my favorite pieces of this collection; it took the air out of my lungs as I read it. Grant Chemidlin has a voice that's worth listening to and a way with words that I think it becoming more rare in the poetry genre. Very, very easily five stars for me.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. This was so much better than Rupi Kaur (as I loathe few other things as much as the overhyped and vapid words which she publishes). I found myself shedding more than one tear (which once again, isn't saying much as poetry frequently makes me cry). I really liked this book, especially the coming out and self discovery aspects coupled with its down-to-earth and contemporary tone which made it easy to draw parallels Chemidlin's insights and my day-to-day life.

[Alex Whitacre · Rating 3 out of 5]

it feels weird to rate poetry for a few reasons, one being I loved some of the individual poems and disliked others, the other being it feels way more subjective than a regular degular book for some reason…

anywho I liked this — some poems i’d rate 5/5 some i’d rate 0/5. I tried to read it over the span of two weeks, taking in the poems slowly.

first book i’ve borrowed via the queer liberation library woot woot!

[Aldo Aguirre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started writing down my favorites and I realized I enjoyed so many of these.

My top top faves are:

- letter to my past-life lover
- the way I photosynthesize
- the breaking
- pockets
- letter to my former self

Other Favorites:

- touchdown
- splash
- how the home says hello
- tour de force
- the sometimes jealous guy
- sit

[Elena Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a poetry person and I loved this collection. These poems were haunting, vivid, and nostalgic. Absolutely worth the read!

[Raymond Wen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Please, oh lord, persuade me to believe not in you, but myself.” This book was truly beautiful and heartfelt. The journey of self discovery, family, love, and heartbreaks really resonated with me. I can’t wait for more poems.

[Kyle Kallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

First! Grant is a very talented poet, able to be popular on Instagram with his truly classic verse.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book of poetry. I have many favorites. I felt really nostalgic reading this.

[Noah Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This collection of poetry is not only full of vivid descriptions, but also very relatable to queer youth. I wish this book was 100 pages longer.

[Marcelo Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and inspiring lines.

[Addicted To Books - Luca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatable 🥲

[Zak F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology of poems deeply touched me in various ways, evoking beauty that brought tears to my eyes. Its graceful flow ensures it will remain etched in my memory forever. Highly recommend ✨

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Padding out my book count with poetry. See you suckers later.

[Grady Schmeckenbecher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick little queer poetry read before I jump into something bigger and heavier. Little disjointed at times and also felt like a punch to the gut because of how beautiful and emotional it was at others. Something I think I will definitely revisit as a queer person, because this story recounts that experience in a way that is not just pain and tragedy, but real and human.

[Hannah Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Some of these poems were a punch in the queer gut, reminding me of those first feelings that stew in you and break your heart but ultimately give you the most full love in the end.

Other pieces didn’t give that sense of connection, almost felt disjointed to the overarching themes.

Some hit and some didn’t and that’s why 2.5 feels right.