In this Book
- The Spirit Papers
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: University of Massachusetts Press
- Series: Juniper Prize for Poetry
Buy This Book in Print
summary
EXCERPT
All right, I'm a little afraid.
It's the zeroing in of All That Could
Possibly Go Wrong vs. Myself.
—"Small Talk with an Imagined Son"
The Spirit Papers explores the magical thinking that precedes impending and inevitable loss, the taboo fantasia that occurs in the crippling timelessness of anticipation. Grieving for the future with a spiritual clarity characterized by ritual and doubt, Metzger's lines are chameleons to every feeling. In the interminable window of expecting the unexpected, the poems ultimately materialize the very events they wish to ward off. The Spirit Papers chases mortality with equal parts disbelief and love.
All right, I'm a little afraid.
It's the zeroing in of All That Could
Possibly Go Wrong vs. Myself.
—"Small Talk with an Imagined Son"
The Spirit Papers explores the magical thinking that precedes impending and inevitable loss, the taboo fantasia that occurs in the crippling timelessness of anticipation. Grieving for the future with a spiritual clarity characterized by ritual and doubt, Metzger's lines are chameleons to every feeling. In the interminable window of expecting the unexpected, the poems ultimately materialize the very events they wish to ward off. The Spirit Papers chases mortality with equal parts disbelief and love.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Cellar below Heaven
- pp. xiii-xiv
- I
- Expecting a Death
- pp. 3-4
- And Beautiful Times We had
- pp. 5-6
- First Relapse
- p. 10
- II
- A New Birthday
- p. 16
- Prepossession
- pp. 17-18
- The Unmaking Life
- p. 20
- Never Bedtime
- p. 21
- Sleep Tight
- p. 23
- For the Ninth Miscarried Sibling
- pp. 25-26
- III
- Near Distance
- p. 35
- As Miscarriage to Me
- p. 38
- Delete the Bird
- pp. 39-40
- Tinsel Demon
- pp. 41-42
- IV
- Nursery Rhyme
- p. 46
- Essential Tremor
- p. 48
- Via Negativa
- p. 50
- Grown Daughter
- p. 51
- Honeymoon Recluse
- p. 53
- The Spirit Papers
- p. 55
- V
- Thalassophobia
- p. 59
- Un-Extinction
- p. 61
- Half-Wish to Belong
- p. 62
- The Exquisite Hoax
- p. 63
- Figment Daughter
- p. 65
- Postmortem Fairytale
- pp. 68-70
- VI
- Cosmic Catch
- p. 77
- Joined at the Daemon
- p. 79
- Third Nature
- p. 80
- Lunatic Divestment
- p. 81
- Not Spring
- pp. 83-84
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 85-87
Additional Information
ISBN
9781613765227
Related ISBN(s)
9781613765234, 9781625342638
MARC Record
OCLC
1007993062
Pages
92
Launched on MUSE
2017-11-01
Language
English
Open Access
No
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