A poetic inspection into the feminine through time, from hunter-gatherer, through the industrial revolution and into the end of the universe.
For such a seminal work in my creative landscape, Usurper Kings had a vivid run in need of recurrence. Thus, this special anniversary edition prepared early for its tenth year.
The entire collection stemmed from the poem Angkor Wat, and an idea of investigating historical usurper kings, while extrapolating where society was at the advent of the patriarchy with where I believe it could go. I'd concluded my university career with a portfolio of poetry and short fiction, the poems graded higher. A chance encounter with a Canadian poetic legend in a café cemented my path to publish first in poetry.
This collection displays viewpoints both mine and not my own, inspects the divine, the gender binary, misogyny, inequality and historical treatment of minority persons over time. It might be hard for some to read, although I hope you do. Each poem is meant to open discussion or leave the reader with an emotional snapshot, something to pursue like Artemis after a stag. They are not meant to all be comfortable.
Poetry like experimentation, is not comfortable at all times, and I adore the nature of poetry for this reason. We can poke and inspect and tear and soothe and console and seek catharsis and push boundaries created by foundations built upon the crumble-dust of previously solid ground.