"grief is not a feeling
but a neighborhood.

this is where I come from.
everyone still lives there."

This collection of poetry tells a few beautiful and heartbreaking stories of loss. Loss of love, loss of family, loss of self. I'm blown away. From the first line of the first poem, Brenna Twohy's grief is evident. She doesn't shy away from it but instead lays it all out there. This is the best collection of poetry I've read in 2019.

Every time I read a poetry collection I'm reminded of why I don't read poetry collections. They're all practically the same thing these days. They're also so personal it's hard to relate sometimes. I always like a handful of poems and the rest are just whatever. There's nothing really wrong with this collection. It just feels like more of the same to me.

I first came across Brenna Twohy's poetry a ⁣
few months ago on the @buttonpoetry Facebook page. I was impressed and did a quick search for her book at my library, but couldn't find anything. Fast forward a few weeks and I stumbled on Swallowtail while browsing NetGalley! Released in October, this poetry collection hit home for me from the very first words:⁣
⁣
WHEN I SAY I FORGIVE YOU, KNOW THIS:⁣
I did not bury the hatchet.⁣
I have the hatchet in my hand.⁣
I am building myself a new house.⁣
⁣
Twohy lays herself bare in her poems with skin prickling vulnerability, her writing style a testament to the idea that sadness and love and fear and grief and healing and mental illness and strength and humor and pop culture can (and do) co-exist. I was reminded of @fransbookshops's interview with Max Porter where he said, "Life is very funny and life is very sad, and those two things aren't separate."⁣
⁣
Basically, I loved this book and can't wait to get my hands on whatever Twohy writes next.⁣
⁣
TW: sexual assault, abuse, suicide⁣
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Impressive and powerful right from the first page, this is one of those rare modern poetry books that stands out on its own merit.

WHEN I SAY I FORGIVE YOU,
KNOW THIS
I did not bury the hatchet.
I have the hatchet in my hands.
I am building a new house.

I enjoyed this book, whose poems talk about grief, loss, trauma, abusive relationships, mental health, survival and more. I also loved the pop culture references e.g. Harry Potter and Batman. The Neville Longbottom one really stuck to me because it gave unique insight and a different perspective to popular opinion.

The execution and writing style are also commendable e.g. being subtle and ambivalent without being bizarre / spiteful / flowery for the sake of it. I'm not sure how to put it exactly but I just love how the author can say so much in so few words.

I will definitely be checking out the author's other works.

Brenna Twohy never disappoints. In Swallowtail, she explores past abusive relationships, grieving her brother’s death, and mental illness. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this one and recommend it to all who enjoy modern poetry.