INHABITANT

A collection of SF–inspired poems focuses on searching for—and redefining—home.

In this four-part volume of poems, a person known only as “the inhabitant” is ejected from Earth and must find a new place to live. In the opening poem, “The Drop,” the speaker grapples with suddenly discovering themselves homeless. They watch their former planet burn, and as they let go of their past life, they vow to recreate a better version of themselves. They drift through the ether “like a runaway balloon” until a ship outfitted for one person appears. They consider a “home on the moon” but “everything screams of earth.” They contemplate life on Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn but instead of relocating, decide to continue journeying. Though the inhabitant grows weary, they still find hope in an orbit when “stars show their faces” and they see “a glitter of light, the sun, / still alive. / comforted, i continue on.” They find companionship with a stowaway spider on the ship but eventually wonder, “where’s my copilot?” when loneliness strikes.  Though they find a planet to inhabit, they soon grow agitated and leave to “navigate to my home, / to my future, / … / wherever that may be.” The book reads like a stripped-down novel in stanzas. Throughout, Crittenden skillfully plays with the white space on the page to impart the sensation of falling into the void or of being lost in the vast sky. The author is adept at describing this “environment of endless possibility.” From the “weak, spongy” ground to “the cool kiss of a dewy fog,” he skillfully transports readers to this strange, extraterrestrial setting. He asks profound questions like “what’s a planet without inhabitants? / what’s an inhabitant without a planet?” and makes poignant observations, such as “a planet alone can thrive, / but a drifting man can only truly exist on solid ground.” Though the work is based in SF, it isn’t hard to apply its reflections to all individuals who feel untethered or alien, no matter where they make their homes.

A creative use of poetry tells a captivating, supernatural tale.