Fuck You - Aloha - I Love You

Juliana Spahr

A small, somewhat short book of poetry, with five short to medium-length pieces, each divided into smaller bits.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It's not that I didn't like it, but it felt as if it was missing some core element that made things seem like less than they should have been; the language is repetitive without ever quite getting to chant, and while the work stays perfectly grounded in image, the images never seem to coalesce into scenes:

In a room we sit around a table.
The table is dark wood.
It has thick legs.
It is a space for gathering with a boundary of wood.

In another room, in a hotel room, we hurriedly undress.
We use the table as a barrier and we rest our things on it.
We value the table as decorum.
A table that is wood, that is hard.
("Switching")

...if that makes any sense.

It's enjoyable, but not something it's necessary to run out and grab this instant. If you find it used, it's worth your time.