Upheavals
Review by Katie Lipoma
Every now and then, I find myself in the mood to read something short and sweet. I decided on Upheavals by Zackary Lavoie—a short poetry collection that touches on some not so sweet topics (death, loss, abuse, suicide, etc.). Through glimpses of natural imagery and distinct word choice, readers are invited to melt into the page and become one with Lavoie’s beautifully unsettling world.
I love how the book opens with an untitled snippet of what is to come: “a gentle push of autumn. / violet skies and / indigo hands and / white knuckles / leaves from a juvenile tree / inevitably brown.” What better time to read this as fall is slowly descending into winter! The collection then unfolds into an organized yet unorganized slew of works ranging in length. For instance, there are several poems with similar titles that come one after the other but tell different stories. Some of these pieces are “rock dove under ditmars (i)” and “rock dove under ditmars (ii)” as well as “upheaval of a sad woman” and “upheaval of a tired man.” The connection between these works is evident yet they couldn’t be more different. I also noticed the repetition of “upheaval” throughout which serves as a constant reminder for the winding, changing nature of this collection and its works. In addition, I can appreciate the creative formatting of Lavoie’s words as they wonderfully accompany the mood and message of each poem.
Many of Lavoie’s poems were challenging for me to interpret as I felt that I needed some backstory to truly grasp and appreciate them. However, like all poetry collections, I definitely have my favorites. They are “upheaval of rhubarb wisdom,” “if god,” and “orr’s island, first frost.” The collection’s first poem, “upheaval of rhubarb wisdom” is a delightful piece about the life cycle of rhubarb and how its natural tart flavor is later transformed into a sweet delectable pie that can be entirely enjoyed. I find it interesting that the author chooses to personify the rhubarb by describing its leaves as “broad, leafy ears” that are similar to his own and even refers to the vegetable as “him.” I interpreted this as Lavoie feeling as though he needs to change himself entirely to become likeable by those around him. This poem serves as a wonderful segue to the content in the rest of his works.
Additionally, “if god” is a thought-provoking poem about the author imagining God in his neighborhood, specifically lingering around a cemetery because it is the closest space to death, hanging on the underside of a leaf, and on a porch where he contemplates the current state of the world. The last few lines really stuck with me: “and wonders / if the worms / can feel the vibrations / of his thoughts / about locusts and war. / no one here is listening.” What a powerful ending! Although I’m not typically a fan of religious poetry, this poem transcends that matter, making it relevant and meaningful to nearly every one of today’s readers. Last but not least, “orr’s island, first frost” is a moody piece from Lavoie’s perspective as he watches a cabin from across Orr’s Island in Maine through a thick fog. This poem includes such unique natural imagery. The barnacles he sees are compared to those deep within his throat which I can assume represent repressed hurt or wounds that cannot be seen. The poem ends with “undergrown overgrowth” which I find very thought-provoking.
I chose not to touch on some of the heavier topics sprinkled throughout. I tried to pick out the works that I needed to read at the moment, but I hope I have not done Lavoie’s work a disservice in doing so. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read and reflect on Upheavals, and was excited when I learned that Lavoie is a local Maine author (I realized that we connected through LinkedIn prior, haha). This little collection got me thinking about how many lesser-known small town authors and works we have yet to collectively discover as a society, and how many potential new favorites we are missing out on. I think we should all band together to uncover them one at a time!
As always, thank you for reading. Check back for a new post next Thursday!
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