notsleepyyet is a poetry book by Alexander P. Garza. After you read it, you may have trouble sleeping, too. The poems, are powerful, but disturbing. Don’t expect moon/June/honeymoon, even in the poems where Mr. Garza talks of how much he loves his wife. Mostly free verse, with some rhyme.
“Spider Web” begins:
“There’s a ten foot spider overhead ready to saran wrap me./His legs vibrate-tingle like prickly branches pulsating.
He follows me to my car and hides behind/where the where the headrest meets my neck.” Disturbing imagery.
From “Imagination is a Dangerous Place”:
“Never use a hand grenade/ when handling form/ or meter or unfettered passion./ Just use it when/ things get stale.”
There are indeed times Garza uses a metaphorical hand grenade.
He speaks of Hurricane Harvey, of his wife, their child, illegal aliens, ghosts, brujos, alcohol, weather, hospitals, music, etc. If you’re looking for poetry that is soft, sweet, and fluffy, like cheesecake, this is not the book for you. If you like your poetry strong and tough, like slightly overdone pot roast cooked with onions and turnips, then notsleepyyet might be the book for you.
Notsleepyyet has been nominated for Bram Stoker Awards in the Poetry category. I recommend it.
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