Sometimes I imagine you here, hovering like wreathed mist, or a cold breath against the sky, and I imagine you are happy: for me, for you, for us and the people we have become without one another, the lovers we have made for others who will always love us far better than we ever loved … Continue reading Hovering
Review of Sophistries of Summer Days, Jenny Lofters
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Sophistries of Summer Days follows the life of young Cherrimina into adulthood. Set in the West Indies from the 1930s onward, Lofters captures life on a small, sunny isle; how sheltered the islanders’ lives are and how they change. Cherrimina’s life is altered first by Dove’s arrival and then again as … Continue reading Review of Sophistries of Summer Days, Jenny Lofters
Oversized
Tonight I wore your jacket, oversized and patchwork green on the inside, whilst I watched a champagne sky pop and fizzle with the chemistry of colour and the smell of bonfire. Poem: © Kristiana Reed 2019 Between the Trees UK Between the Trees US Available internationally
Frosted lungs
Time slows to a breath: leaves fall at a standstill orange through the blue then the grey of late afternoon, clouds move silently gilded in autumnal gold a swirling yellow lake, and people drift upon each pavement between the broken foliage and shifting frost as the mist between my lips unfurls in cold lilac setting … Continue reading Frosted lungs
Review of A Book of Changes, Krystyna Horko
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Framed by the death of Chairman Mao and the student protests in Tiananmen Square, Horko's novel tells the story of Melissa; a woman from the UK whose life is tied to the events in China due to her relationship with activist Jianguo and the birth of her son, Justin. Through … Continue reading Review of A Book of Changes, Krystyna Horko
Butterfly kisses
One, two, the nape of my neck, three, four, the small of my back, fix, six, the backs of my knees, seven, eight, the tops of my feet. Poem: © Kristiana Reed 2019 Between the Trees UK Between the Trees US Available internationally
Review of Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s, Jay Spencer Green
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. There is very little I can say without spoiling Green's humorous thriller, and it is difficult to review after reading the Acknowledgements section which extolled and indicted this novel in equal measure; as Green essentially thanked others for their patience whilst he wrote this bizarre tale. The book is exceptional … Continue reading Review of Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s, Jay Spencer Green
Review of Tel, S. Karlan
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. "Your body caught in a wave Turning you over in the thick brine" In archaeology, a tel (Hebrew for 'hill' or 'mound') is a mound formed by generations of people living in the same place for hundreds and thousands of years. Whilst, 'Aviv' is Hebrew for 'spring'. Thus, Karlan's three … Continue reading Review of Tel, S. Karlan
Found beneath the bed
dust worn socks bleeding hearts and the look I told you to take with you when you packed your bags. Poem: © Kristiana Reed 2019 Between the Trees UK Between the Trees US Available internationally
Review of Signs of Life: Poems for Remembering, Meg Bloom
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Bloom’s debut collection is immediately reminiscent of Kaur and Lovelace as she combines pithy thoughts with extended pieces which demonstrate Bloom’s talent for creating raw and honest imagery. At times, this similarity let the collection down. My issue with the work of Kaur and Lovelace is how often the words … Continue reading Review of Signs of Life: Poems for Remembering, Meg Bloom