GREEN FOR LUCK

The author’s book of poems explores her whirring mind.

In this poetry collection, the author gives readers a glimpse into her very busy brain: “Good Liar Bad Liar,” a stream-of-consciousness poem, concludes, “Come over & repeat back to me everything I say,” since the speaker’s thoughts have become disjointed. Later, the poet confesses, “I’m addicted to wondering about my unconscious / & I continue & continue to try to find the light. / I pray to god for the light” (“The light The light The light The light”).“Indecent Sonnet” recalls a mid-Scrabble romp. Another poem, presented in 12 acts, documents snippets of clever dialogue. The natural world is a recurring theme, with the poet celebrating such subjects as redbud, milkweed, and honeysuckle. Technology and the way we interact with it (in the poet’s case, via sexting and horoscope apps) are also among the author’s fascinations. Two poems, “Over Correct” and “All Angels,” are dedicated to beloved relatives the poet lost—her cousin and her grandmother, respectively—in 2022. Yapp’s mind may wander, but she always sticks the landing; in “Tend,” her attention beguilingly skips across various subjects, including baking instructions: “To re-soften sugar, pour into / microwave-safe bowl & cover with moist paper / towel, set microwave to high, zap in 20 second / increments til it smells like the mall.” She experiments with form, allowing her poems to prance across the page and turn sideways or upside down; the author presents the table of contents as a poem in and of itself, poking fun at convention. Her tone is bold, honest, and unapologetic, as when she declares, “It feels good to walk / with my righteous catalog of grievances / right here in my pocket.” But one poem, “The Gut,” perhaps takes things too far with the confession “I found two quinoa in my buttcrack hair.” Refreshingly, Yapp doesn’t take herself or her poetry too seriously, making this book a delightful read.

A playful and quirky book of poems.