This volume of poetry drips with natural imagery from the more-than-human world alongside the all-too-human preoccupation with God and beauty and desire and belonging.

A gorgeous, haunting collection of poems exploring belonging, desire, and borders from the daughter of Polish immigrants. All of these poems feel like bodies of water, winter, cold wind, salt – the kind of empty desolate natural beauty that feels utterly Polish. Humienik wields her vocabulary and imagery so sharply in this collection - it's a joy to read.

<i> Hundreds of years, and not a day passes that I'm not haunted. Eternity. I swear it is her walking now through fog, wind, rain to reach me. I recognize that coruscating gaze. She stops to see the milk the waves make. Once, we watched them crash to dissolution on this very cliff. Their metallic lurch and charge summoning the swoop of gulls. Lifting sand from the ocean floor to its longed-for gasp. </i>

We Contain Landscapes by Patrycja Humienik ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tin House
Pub Date: 3-18-25

Thank you @netgalley and @tin_house for this eARC.

"I wish for kinder eyes, to see less of everything. Sometimes I go walking without my glasses. Maybe next time I’ll spin in the grass, arms wide open. I hope I’m laughing when I fall. I want to send that laughter to you."

This is the first collection of poetry I've read. I found that it calmed my mind, while also making me think.

There was not one poem, but many lines of separate poems, that struck me. I found myself highlighting and rereading these lines. I expect I may think of each differently when I read again in the future - depending on the day, depending on my circumstances.

From the poet's introduction to the reader:

"May we not turn away from our griefs, hauntings, and deepest desires. May we widen the boundaries of our love, of what we imagine for our lives and for future generations, of we."

#wecontainlandscapes #patrycjahumienik #tinhouse #netgalley

We contain landscapes by patrycja humienik is a heart melting collection of poems full of soul. I’m sure it will stick with me for a long time.

O tenderness, I am walking toward you.
Why are you pulling away?

What a beautiful book of poetry. A few favorites include: On Self Defeat, Saint Hyacinth Basilica, The Pipe Organ, and Ecotones.

An absolutely beautiful debut work and collection of poems. I was initially drawn in by the cover alone, but am so, so happy I decided to take a chance in requesting an eARC! I devoured this all in one sitting and ended up highlighting/bookmarking so many pieces and passages. Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this opportunity - I definitely plan on purchasing a physical copy of this book come pub day for my home library!