This is a very short book of poems centered mostly around relationships and grief ( think). The words rolled off my tongue beautifully, with a lovely cadence, but their meaning didn’t quite reach or resonate with my heart the way I want poetry to. I admit they are not really for me, but they might be for you!

Here’s a snippet I did really like, though:

“Daylight, make me a forager,
a bottom feeder
with patient lungs
I will gorge myself on the ocean floor
& rise up,
grinning
a mouthful of shells
ready to shatter into words”

This book of poetry was so thought provoking and the language is really beautiful. I enjoyed the look at nature.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

It's my first time reading Judy Nahum's work and I will start by saying that the title of this book seized not just my attention but every fibre in me that adored words.
I love the way each word evokes not only an emotion but also wraps you into a sense of wonder and has you going on this journey of transformation. From 'swinging steadfast from a tender branch,' talking about pain and memory of pain, to 'of hunger and living,' starting off with this quote from another author about life and life's purpose to 'yakamoz' where the author simply says 'I want the moon in one pocket.'
If you love prose, and the taste of words in your mouth I can safely say that you ought to read this book, at least for the sake of an adventure and a reminder of how beautiful, raw and enchanting words can be.

Judy Nahum's pen is filled with imagery that can move even those most stoic. I felt haunted by her sorrow, touched by her loss and compelled to continue reading no matter what.
This is what poetry is supposed to do, in my opinion. Move you to the point of exhaustion, change you and challenge you. Dare you to reconsider what you know and to look through a different lense.

Beautiful collection of poetry. I really enjoyed this work. Nature shines through in every poem. I recommend.

A very quick read, exactly what I needed after not having the attention span for longer reads. These poems didn't really resonate with me and I don't havent read enough poetry to really decide if it was well written poetry, but I enjoyed reading it.

A brief, but beautiful collection of poems. I believe this collection will resonate with a lot of people as it explores familiar themes of illness, love, grief, and the natural world. My personal favorites were "You are what I feel" and "swinging steadfast from a tender branch" although I was also pleasantly surprised by "yakamoz" as its not very common to find Turkish being discussed in books! The poem inspired by this phrase was a stunning representation of grief. This collection was my first reading experience with this poet's work and I look forward to finding more in the future!

ARC given by Net Galley for an honest review.

“In dreams, I smash windows and don’t even bleed”

These poems were beautiful - they are extremely personal and speak of experiences everyone can relate to.

As what happens with most collections I connected to some of them more than others. This is a collection of poems that have been previously published elsewhere and therefore they do not tell a full story together. Which I how I tend to prefer my experience when it comes to poetry collections, especially ones this short.

But there are a few exceptional works in this collection I will definitely go back to and reread over and over again.

Una colección corta pero encantadora de poesía. Nahum navega con facilidad entre el anhelo, la cuarentena, el luto y el amor, utilizando un lenguaje exuberante e imaginativo. Algo que podría releer una y otra vez. Espero ver más escritos en el futuro, ya que esto fue demasiado corto pero lleno de tanto talento.

This collection of poems felt personal. It felt like I was reading someone’s diary and I think that’s what poetry should be. “I have wrestled with the way clouds weep” was short but covered many emotions and topics. It was beautifully written and made clever comparisons that were so shockingly true.

I could see myself coming back to this book when I needed something to relate to.

This is.an interesting set of poems. Also very beautifully written. They. Were beautiful and kinda makes you think about life in general. Very short read and I recommend reading this book.

I.received. afree.copy.of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

Nahum has a talent for developing stunning imagery in her poems. I was pleased to see the last piece reference orcas in light of the book's stunning cover. I think it is most appropriate to call this collection a chapbook given it's brevity.

A short but lovely collection of poetry. Nahum weaves through longing, quarantine, mourning, and love effortlessly with lush and imaginative language. Something I could easily reread again and again. I hope to see more writing in the future as this was far too short while full of so much talent.

My favorite poems are: "Brighton Beach", "Migrants", and "of hunger & circling."

A beautiful collection with a lot of really interesting and creative pieces. Very short (22 pages all in), but a variety of topics covered. Some I loved, some weren't really for me but all were written beautifully. 


Some reviews of individual pieces in this -



Brighton beach - gorgeous piece, really interesting narrative and world created. Five stars. 


The earth wove a casket of reeds - an interesting piece. It didn't speak to me quite as much as the first in this collection. 3 stars. 


The bookbinder - Nice piece. Quite a gentle tone compared to others. 3.5 stars. 


October - impressive and creative metaphors littered throughout. Quite visceral.  4 stars 


Migrants - less metaphorical than others in this collection - to the point of the brutality of the world. 4 stars.


You are what I feel - didn't speak to me as much as the rest, but definitely someone's cup of tea. 2.5 stars. 


Swinging steadfast from a tender branch - a really nice piece filled with metaphors and symbolism. Feels quite overwhelming on the page compared to others however. 4.5 stars.


M - Very pretty piece, potentially about unrequited love. Short and an easy read. 4 stars 


Aria of the morning - I throughly enjoyed this piece and it is easily one of my favourites in this collection. 5 stars.