My Tall Handsome by Emily Corwin
Published by Brain Mill Press
Ebook
Published 14 March 2016
52 pages
Owned
When the cutie-pie was opened, the birds began to sing, and what they sang was glittery and savage and fearless and dangerous-be careful with this book.
-Catherine Wagner, author of Nervous Device
The fanged fairy of Emily Corwin's forest-mud-stained collection asserts and sings with short rhymes and glitter-spells, and just as you've followed her into the deepest and darkest part of the woods, terrified, you're asked to run away together / and promise to never / do this heart-skipping thing / with anyone else.
Don't be surprised when you find yourself answering yes, yes, yes.
Confronting and darling, every word a perfect warm circlet of pink blood, My Tall Handsome raids every crystal jar on the lace-topped vanity for truth, poison, and song until you can't remember why you ever thought pretty was better than powerful, sugar was better than bitter medicine, or dancing needed more music than your own voice.
I sip the goblet down, tip it upside down / wear it as / a hat / I am a new shiny thing / and I steal you away from the hoopla hullabaloo rumpus
You won't resist this kidnapping into the orchard, into the crab-apple abracadabra-it is too crystalline a taking, and there are too many delicious chants to chant along the way.
EXTRACT
From Bramble Scratch
The woods tall hush
here, a dull rage flickering
pricks my pretty dress...
This is my first time reading the poet. A while ago the publisher was giving away some books for free and I chose this at random because I liked the cover.
I really enjoyed this very short collection of poems. I loved the way the poet blends reality with myth, fantasy and the fairytale idea of living happy ever after. Corwin is a talented poet. The few poems in My Tall Handsome are full of rich imagery and detail. I didn't actually realise how short the collection is. There are only half a dozen or so poems. I was just getting into the collection when I read the last poem. I was disappointed because I could happily have read a couple hundred more pages. Overall, My Tall Handsome is excellent and highly recommended.
RATING