The Madness Vase: By Andrea Gibson

Andrea Gibsons second book of poems The Madness Vase offers a breathtaking continuation of the poets most tender and honest work. Her fist book Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns opened the door to Gibsons unapologetic voice yet The Madness Vase manages to take an even more intimate look at the subjects of family war spirituality gender grief and hope. The poems topics range from hate crimes to playgrounds from international conflict to hometowns from falling in love to the desperation of loneliness. Gibsons work seizes us by the collar and hauls us inside some of her darkest moments then releases out the other side. Moments later we find ourselves inhaling words that fill us with light. Her luminous imagery is a buoy that allows us to resurface from her world clutching new possibilities of our own. Throughout her career Gibsons poems have always been a call to social justice. But this collection goes beyond awareness. Her images linger in our psyches and entreat us to action. They challenge us to grow into our own skin. The journey may be raw at times but we are continuously left inspired held and certain we are not alone. By the time you finish reading The Madness Vase you too will believe Folks like us/Weve got shoulder blades that rust in the rain/But they are still G-sharp/Whenever our spinal chords are tuned to the key of redemption/So go ahead world/Pick us/To make things better.