Bohince

The overarching nature of this collection of poetry is one of deep sorrow and almost impending solitude. Each poem draws heavily on the atmosphere that pain and loneliness seem to provide. Meaning, Bohince leaves very little in the way of hope; by the end of the book the soul is left open and raw.

Her imagery is such that even in moments when humour is allowed, and after a torrential downpour of emotional overdrive, necessary, all one manages to glean from it is an overwrought sense of desperation. Though the imagery is vivid and even invites the reader to continue to sift through the drama and find the meat of the poem, on the whole the experience is somewhat of a let down in terms of the desire to immerse oneself in the world of Bohince's characters. Quite simply, I found myself less than intrigued by the characters that show up throughout the book.

Even the obviously Biblical characters of John, Lucas, and Paul left much to be desired in terms of what they could actually do for the book as a whole. Let's be honest, one doesn't use obvious Jesus references unless they want someone to get the idea that these Apostles, as Bohince openly calls them, meant something to the narrator of the book; however, I didn't get the sense that there was much of anything to be taken away from these characters except a few quick jabs of wisdom in the most superficial of ways--these are characters who seem to have a connection to the narrator; however, very little to do with the reader.

As someone whose main goal it is to understand the form and layout of a book, I was intrigued to note the separation of sections. Three sections must mean that there are at least two voltas within the text; however, I didn't notice much of a difference in terms of tone or even content. By tone, I mean there is nothing more to be taken except the inevitability of demise, loneliness, and almost no hope. From the very first poem in which Bohince entreats the attention and adoration of God himself--"Adore me, Lord, / beneath this raw milk sky, your vision / of silvery cream comprising daylight"--there is an incessant somberness in each section. Though, I suppose in terms of focus in the book, the sections serve to allow a change of scenery. The first section flows as does the water with which it is built. Each image is in part a fluid and natural transportation from one poem to the next as in "Spirits at the Edge of Bayonet Woods": "constant swirling, watched her weep beside / the river's illiterate banks, lay her dress upon / its slick grasses, wade into the inch of loam / then lie facedown in its merciful pull." (pg. 18) As I said, the imagery does a great job creating atmosphere and shift in scenery; however, some of the poems take a turn for the melodramatic--case in point: "Spirits at the Edge of Bayonet Woods". There is, and I'm sure Bohince knows and understands this, a difference between drama and melodrama. In fact, I'm sure she does, because in the very next poem, "Johnstown", Bohince finds the medium between the drama of life and the Maudlin nature of soap operas.

Another aspect of the book that I found fascinating: Bohince's use of the acrostic. Now, I'm one to write a vertical lyric now and again. The problem that arises with most acrostics, however, is that they don't say as much as the one vertical line itself. It seemed as though she was trying to create a poem as important to the story as the actual act of the acrostic itself; however, again Bohince leaves much to be desired. Though the imagery is simplistic, the "message" even simpler, Bohince seems to sacrifice a lucid connection from poem to poem for the supposed cleverness of an acrostic. Though an exception is "Acrostic: Geese in Snow" on page 36, even this poem's imagery is ultimately sacrificed for such a lofty and figureless word as "curse"--the poem's final word.

Bohince's poetic imagery and even her desire to create something with deep meaning falls drastically shorter than what I had hoped. However, there are moments when lightening strikes, and it strikes hard. Such poems as "Johnstown", "Quarry", and "Pond" create a breathtaking environment and opens the reader so that the words are raw and very real.