Poetry Review: Stupid Flowers

Stupid Flowers

Author: Brice Maiurro

Genre: Poetry

Stupid Flowers is a wonderful collection of poetry; unconventional, irreverent and with plenty of brilliant surprises.

About the Author

Brice Maiurro is a poet and writer currently residing in Denver, Colorado. He hosts a monthly poetry series called ‘Punch Drunk Poetry’. His writing has been featured locally in Suspect Press, Birdy Magazine and The Denver Post.

Review

I had expected this poetry collection to be flippant, going by the title. But, flippant is one thing the poems are not. At various places, the poems have a depth that reflects the struggle of an intelligent mind with life choices. At other places, the poems create a psychedelic world of myriad impressions and thoughts careening around in the poet’s mind.

There are many poems that seared me deeply.

‘Color Test‘ talks of personality types, the ways people are reduced to and are judged by mere behavioral characteristics.

I liked ‘Mouseketeer‘, which succumbs to dark places in ones’ heart and yet it ends on a realistic note.

‘I am not a bottle of pills‘, is about love, friends, relationships, about life’s despairs and how to handle them.

“i am not a bottle of pills
but i love you
and if you need someone to listen
never don’t ask”

Sometimes, poems start with ‘and’ so that they feel like a continuation of a conversation.

‘Reckless‘ made me laugh at the futility of our rebellion just for the sake of it.

‘Moving Day‘ describes a physical movement and an emotional moving on, side by side.

“i packed up hope
and when there was room at the top of the box
i tossed in some doubt
to use the box to its full advantage
and i labeled the box
“brice. assorted nonsense.””

‘Whatif’ struck a chord, talking of the poet’s love for writing poetry.

‘There is Something Sad about Today and That is Ok‘, brings a feeling that there is someone out there, God or some presence that oversees us all.

‘Aquarium‘ bombards you with words, thoughts and images, bringing them together for a psychedelic experience of seeing a boy walking on water.

In ‘I blink and‘, there are infinite worlds and alternate realities that we are aware of.

‘i channel surf
the million lives I want to
live’

In the poem, ‘Doing the dishes‘, at one moment, the poet is talking of the very ordinary act of doing dishes in the kitchen, being involved in the here and now and the next he is out of his skin, expanding and being like God, moving across space and then back to the ordinary.

In the surreal poem, ‘Date with a beautiful woman‘, I loved the juxtaposition of the emotional side of love with the bestial emotions of a werewolf of violence. That is how minds are, we realise, they turn from one to the other at the speed of thought.

In ‘3015 kalmia‘, we look for beauty in unexpected places.

“i’ve been taught to look at the mountains
the sky the trees the murals on the sides of buildings
but you reminded me how god hides
in the places you’d least expect to see her”

‘Waiting Room‘ is like a punch. It is just a little description of two men in a waiting room but the mention of death is a shock.

The poems have so many themes and the collection has a very contemporary feeling.

The style is free verse and sometimes the poems feel like prose or like conversations running around in the poet’s head. But the poems touch on many universal ideas like love, the conundrum of daily life and death.

Some of the imagery is drawn from daily life, from things as mundane as a housefly or the dresser in a room but the confusion and the anxiety are real and the insights, profound.

The cover art is different, not something you would associate with poems but then the entire collection brings in a new experience to the reader.

Verdict

Read this poetry collection for a deep look into your own thoughts. Humourous, poignant and quirky, Stupid Flowers is captivating.

I rate this poetry book 4 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the ebook from the author for an honest review.

Buy Stupid Flowers here.

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