Sharks in the Rivers

ada limon begins her poem Homesick:In the Glen Ellen night, banned to the backyardfor running in the house, I and a particular tree;became fast friends in the green sequined morning.it’s that ‘green sequined morning’. that artificiality of nature that vibrates within me, touching the poems of dylan thomas and the strangeness of surrealism. and like milton’s satan banned from his heavenly house, she goes through a transformation to adapt to her new environment:I imagined myself growing green sprouts and maroon barkthat shot into the dirt.we see her journey from the innocence to knowledge and mastery to her place of exile. but unlike satan transformed as serpent to lie and tempt in the garden of eden, we don’t know the reason for her banishment, but like satan she claims sovereignty, turning her exile into a queendom:Today in this terriblecement city, I will do this bidding, but I tell you:I am there, across from Sonoma Creek, still hiddenin the tree, where I cannot be unbelieved.hidden within the word ‘unbelieved’ is her name, her palindrome.i chose one poem from this collection, her second published book, to show how ada limon situated herself to become one of our major poets, the ada limon nurtured by trees and rivers of poetic tradition and the ada limon birthed by her mexican heritage, citing octavio paz as an epigraph alerts the reader to his influences in many of her poems.with the popularity of limon’s poetry, much of her poetry accessible to average readers, i feel my brief excursion into poetic connections and symbolism can be forgiven.and so that snake?It made sense to long for rapid wings and the ability to hover always–to be Huitzilopochti taming my snakes.do spend time with these rewarding poems.

As a "Queens" girl I've never viewed myself as a city girl, although many would beg to differ. If you're from anyone of the five boroughs you're a city kid. There's no denying or hiding in Ana the reflection of her environment within her poetry. I enjoyed how she touched on the simple aspects of daily life. This is my second contemporary poetry book. I definitely connected with her loneliness, sadness, wanting to abandon her immediate environment, and craving for so much more. Her poetry somehow gave me comfort in knowing that I'm not the only individual that has deep layers of sentiment. Sentiments she gracefully simplifies and complicates in poetic words and imagery. It feels natural, easy and deep. I enjoyed her unique writing style. I recommend this book. There may not be many books I will not recommend, but that is because I am falling in love with poetry. Open to change always, makes me open to others voices and with that new knowledge, how will that altar my own voice? Curious...-Liz

If you think you might be even a little interested in poetry, this is the book for you.

This was a great book. I enjoyed it a lot. Ada Limón is a genius and I could really relate to her work.

I love this book. It is sharp, fiery, and fierce as hell.

BRIGHT DEAD THINGS BY ADA LIMON: REVIEW By Stefanie Sniffin Bright Dead things was written by a four-book author named Ads Limon. It is an eclectic collection of magical poems delving into personal and wild consciousness. The book has death, love, and hearth bringing us with her into an intellectual and beautiful ride. Limon takes her readers on a journey through life, death, love, loss in a reflection of her life so far. She speaks of unruled beasts and clouds shaped as animals, simple but to the point. The book is a collection of core honestly and feeling that leaves us wanting more. For instance, she writes in “What it Looks Like to Us and Those We Use,”: (p. 23) “…You don’t believe in God? And I said, No. I believe in this connection we all have to nature, to each other, to the universe. And she said, Yeah God…” Brutal honesty mixed with a love of our tortured universe. She speaks of death as a world unto its own. The book speaks of grief, a certain wildness, history, and a celebration of what life is supposed to be. She is honest to a fault in her poetry, and it makes her readers a believer of the shortness but importance of life. Another poem that reached my sous was, “Before”. 9p 46 …” I never knew survival Was like that. If you live, You look back and beg For it again, the hazardous Bliss before you know What you would miss.”This poem brough tears to my eyes as I picture a small child on the back of a bike with her father before reality sets in and ruins your expectations. Limon brings reality to life in her sheerly powerful book. The collection of differences seems to equal out and come out looking more meaningful then ever before. She speaks of her heritage and race as a celebration. Which is refreshing and delightful in this day and age. I considered the third chapter to be the best of the bunch. Her candor in, “The Wild Devine,” (p55-56) was extraordinary. The words reaching out from youth and simpler times when learning about our bodies was not a shame or ugly. Just pure and bright. Her words are innocent but harsh as she speaks of her first-time consuming passion. In conclusion, I thought this book to be beyond my expectations. It was the first book I have ever reviewed and one that I actually enjoyed reading. If poetry is your thing, this a book worth reading through its entirety. It boils the blood an makes you aware of feelings long forgotten. It takes you through love, sadness, fear, worry, happiness, and death. But isn’t that what we all are searching for? Honesty put in a way we can understand. Limon is unafraid and ambiguous at the same time. She is unabandoned as she takes us on this journey of pure truth. Her truth. One last excerpt I found rather profound was from, “Tattoo Theory.” (p87) …But the shape of Nebraska is still the same despite the translation; it looks like a sad animal with his head hangdog low..” This makes me think of a town I have been to and did not care for. But had to go anyway. The last line…” Here is my permanent puncture, here’s my unstoppable ink.” I can feel the weight on her heart as she drives in this seemingly unknown place. What if she would rather go to another state and enjoy it more? When do you stop and savor the life you choose or keep going wanting more?

“Well, her poems aren’t for everybody.” But, no, I think you’re wrong. They ARE for everyone but some people don’t realize it yet. The difference between patent medicine and real medicine is that with real medicine you don’t have to believe you need it for it to work. The medicine of the poet laureate cures us in the same way we got sick. By drips and drabs, slowly we are raised up out of our bed of illness over time until we suddenly realize we aren’t sick anymore. We are cured by her words. By her spirit. Suddenly the horse that was lame is cantering through the wheatgrass again.

The poems are all good, and a couple are already showing the potential that she will fulfil in the next three volumes where there are more great poems.

I greatly enjoy Ada Limon's poetry. I highly recommend it. She shows there is great beauty in words, and it is the beauty of life.

received this item, many thanks.

Ada Limon is a brilliant poet. I feel this volume is the meandering of the voice that emerges with such clarity in Bright Dead Things.