MS. PRETTY RICKEY

A short collection of poems that focuses on the ills in modern-day society.

Gary, the author of POetiQ Roses (2008), presents a fervent collection of new verses with a title that seems appropriate, as it appears to refer to a street sweeper whose cleansing act zeroes in on such ills as corporate corruption, drug addiction, and war. The author’s style bears traces of spoken-word art, as it feels as conversational as it is poetic. This is as much a weakness as it is a strength, however, as the book takes on a level of metafiction that can be jarring; for instance, Gary references the reader and her book in “Skull Ice Candy”: “Inhale, inject, smoke and consume this Book / Hug every word until the pages are shook / Where the Library orders what’s off the hook.” Some words seem chosen purely for their rhyme, regardless of meaning, as evidenced in “Members of Society”: “Time to weed out Unhealthy Relations with others / Even if you liked them, Like their your Brother / Speak from the Heart, even if it’s just to your Lover.” Words are capitalized seemingly at random, with no clear pattern, and there are occasional spelling errors. There’s clear strength in Gary’s writing, as her emotions are evident when she takes on societal issues. For instance, in “Chief Officials,” she writes, “No Rabbi around to educate all about this unknown system / To be free from this hindrance, A survivor but still victim / What could be the purpose of punishing innocence and crush wisdom.” But although the writing has good bones, it lacks focus and seems too caught up in compositional experimentation. When the author writes honestly about her thoughts and emotions, though, the rawness of her style comes to her aid.

A worthy but unevenly executed effort.