Poetry Book Review: pomegranate seeds
This microchap contains six poems about unrequited love. Although the author describes the book as exploring polyamory, I wouldn’t have realised without being explicitly told. In general, the poems seem to be dedicated to a specific person. Each title is dual, portraying a contrast within itself. I liked this aspect of this collection, as the titles give us multiple lenses to read the poems through.
"you said you didn’t like the taste.
you said things always taste better if they are fresh."
IT WOULD KINDA BREAK MY HEART / MY HEART IS ALL OVER THE PLACE
In these lines, jennings explores the polyamophobia of a person they were interested in. The metaphor speaks well for the reality of how polyamorous hearts are sometimes observed as rotten or corrupted — as if our love is any lesser, less satisfying. When reading (critically), I got the message, yet I didn’t quite feel it the same way I expect to when reading poetry.
Even after reading each poem multiple times, some of their meanings still elude me.
"I don’t want it, not like that, you said.
that’s why I want you to have a piece of it;
maybe it could feel something other than a burden."
I MISS YOU / IT WAS A MESS
I personally see the words dampen what the author intends to say. The other person not wanting the heart is similar to the first poem. I know several readers who like a challenge when deciphering what a poet meant or what you are getting as a reader. I am not one of those readers. I prefer the concrete and the clear, and due to that factor, I found it challenging to enjoy jennings’ writing.
Overall, I consider this book as average, rating it at 3/5 stars. The poems had a natural progression and they had some pleasant imagery. I did find it somewhat frustrating at times since the writing style does not fit my personal preference — it must be said that it is not bad writing. I admire the author’s commitment to exploring polyamory and polyamophobia, and it piqued my interest in reading and writing poetry around this topic.
pomegranate seeds will be published on 21st June, 2019. I have received a free advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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