well then there now

Spahr’s work is interesting, to say the least. I find myself lost in her words, sometimes unsure of what I’m even reading. Is anyone else feeling this way? Sometimes I read her poetry and feel myself wanting to skim. Wanting to skim because somehow my brain thinks that I should. I have to force myself to keep reading, not because it is boring, but rather, it seems simple. Simple sentences and simple words, but the meaning they convey is not so simple. I think that’s one thing that draws me into Spahr’s work. The way she phrases things…if you don’t read carefully, they’ll catch you. Her words are tumbling in such a manner that I feel myself caught as well. I feel like I want to skim because I feel like I’ll understand at the end, but I won’t. I have to read all of it to understand her meaning. Maybe she does it on purpose to keep us reading, not only the actual words but also between the lines. For instance, her piece “Things of Each Possible Relation Hashing Against One Another” – at first glance, there appears to be a message she’s trying to get across and you can assume and skim. But it won’t get you anywhere. You have to delve. Have to see the subtle changes of “analogy from analogy” to “analogy of analogy” (Spahr 58). There are subtle changes, and parallels to things happening to the island. She mentions mongoose brought to Hawaii to control rats, but rather, became an invasive species that feasted on local birds and bird eggs that stifled the local bird population. I feel like Spahr is comparing the introduction of these invasive animals to the introduction of invasive thoughts; invasive ideas that displace local or native ideas. The subtle changes help bring this about, shifting about the tone of the poem. I think what she’s trying to say is intriguing; and I believe the way she styles the book also helps in her trying to get across her ideas.

-- Tanya Tsoi