We often look to poems in times of questioning. How can we process the enormity of this emotion? What wisdom can we glean from hardship? Written in the aftermath of his mother’s passing, Ocean Vuong’s second full-length collection of poetry, Time Is a Mother, skillfully turns grief over and over again until it illuminates the prismatic wonders of being alive. Yes, we walk through the sadness of loss, the cruelties of time, the violence of the world—and, there, we also experience surprise, wit, wonder, joy. This book is a gorgeous, resonant testament to the expansiveness of our human spirit. (review by DDG's meg willing)
