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A review by apthompson
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Night sky with exit wounds, by Ocean Vuong
“Some nights you are the lighthouse / some nights the sea / what this means is that I don’t know / desire other than the need / to be shattered & rebuilt”
“& so what - if my feathers / are burning. I / never asked for flight”
“Stars. Or rather, the drains of heaven - waiting. Little holes. Little centuries opening just enough for us to slip through”
“Sometimes I ask for too much just to feel my mouth overflow.”
“Teach me / how to hold a man the way thirst / holds water. Let every river envy / our mouths. Let every kiss hit the body / like a season.”
Vuong’s poetry is at once violent and delicate, lyrical and horrific, depicting a life where these elements collide. He is ever a master of juxtaposition and intimacy. Each poem feels distinct, yet the collection feels entirely cohesive. Each word, each phrase, is given space and breath. As ever, Vuong’s works are filled with timeless images: night, stars, petals, fire, the body, and writing/books. Much of what I have adored in other works by Vuong are present here, rich, and at their initial fruition of his career. Vuong continues to break and hold me at once through his writing.
rating: ★★★★★
“Some nights you are the lighthouse / some nights the sea / what this means is that I don’t know / desire other than the need / to be shattered & rebuilt”
“& so what - if my feathers / are burning. I / never asked for flight”
“Stars. Or rather, the drains of heaven - waiting. Little holes. Little centuries opening just enough for us to slip through”
“Sometimes I ask for too much just to feel my mouth overflow.”
“Teach me / how to hold a man the way thirst / holds water. Let every river envy / our mouths. Let every kiss hit the body / like a season.”
Vuong’s poetry is at once violent and delicate, lyrical and horrific, depicting a life where these elements collide. He is ever a master of juxtaposition and intimacy. Each poem feels distinct, yet the collection feels entirely cohesive. Each word, each phrase, is given space and breath. As ever, Vuong’s works are filled with timeless images: night, stars, petals, fire, the body, and writing/books. Much of what I have adored in other works by Vuong are present here, rich, and at their initial fruition of his career. Vuong continues to break and hold me at once through his writing.
rating: ★★★★★