CAGE OF BONE

Praitis presents a collection of poetry about modern-day love and life.

In this volume, the author explores the concept of cages, the animalistic nature of humans, and the fierce love of mothers. She begins with a meditation on the increasing noisiness of the world: A speaker, a single mother, shares how “Try as I might, I don’t always hear / my son as he storytells / on our walk to school” (“If Nobody Hears a Story Does It Exist?”). She describes a terrifying attack by a man while on a run and the animal instincts at play in both parties, and recalls how, as a child, she almost accidentally burned her house down: As a “vigilant parent / I still don’t play with fire, / but I can’t promise / I won’t unintentionally / risk my home / for light” (“What I Am Capable Of”). Attacking an infestation of ants, the speaker is “feeling myself important / dominant, buoyant” (“Ants in the Pantry”). At age 55, the speaker celebrates her muscular arms and toned stomach, though, according to the poem’s title, “Somebody Told Me I Shouldn’t Be Saying This.” The poet uses inventive descriptions, such as, “Even at 2 a.m., the traffic / on the freeway crams / its shushing in our ears” (“If Nobody Hears a Story Does It Exist?”). Her wisdom is quiet and assuming, yet still impactful, in lines like “Sometimes / what is broken / holds more / than what / remains whole” (“Broken”), and her musings prompt contemplation, like, “How would I know / what it meant / to wish so hard / I wouldn’t recognize / my wish granted?” (“Laureate”). However, while Praitis’ poems are lovely to read individually, the collection as a whole feels somewhat rudderless.

A beautiful book of poems that emphasizes the journey rather than a destination.