Sharks in the Rivers

In my year of reading Ada Limón, I have accidentally been reading her backwards through time, and it is strange to now arrive at her big city period mentioned here and there in her later collections, when I associate her with Kentucky and big fields with horses and birds and dogs. There is a yearning for escape here, Ada in the city, Ada in an office with sales, Ada in a high rise apartment, and I with the power of hindsight am like, yes, girl, get out! This is not where you belong!

“you are part weather, part flower-leaf waving”
(from “How to Give Up”)

This is also a collection of water. So many rivers, so much high water. It was strange to read this in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, while the South was still show more bracing for Milton to fall.

While I do prefer her later collections, it was fascinating to get glimpses of where she came from before, to see evidence of her growth as both a person and a poet. My favorite poem was “Ways to Ease Your Animal Mind.” show less

Pardon me while Ada and I become birds and find out what's behind the sky.