dark country
dark country
Kristy Bowen
(dancing girl press & studio, 2021)
116 pages.
Set amidst the drift and sway of midwestern girlhood, this collection of prose poems & lyric essay tongues the edges of the rural and suburban gothic, urban legends, sleepover lore, horror movies, and the darker corners of feminine consciousness.
"A girl builds a hallway in her body lined
with ribbons. best of show. best heifer. best 4-H betty crocker
brownies. A dresser littered with abandoned barrettes and shiny
trophies. After she's elected fair queen, she fucks the football team
under the dark of the bleachers. Hands
tied with a silver sash. best kisser. best blow job. Under
her sweater, the best heart, best speller in three counties. Dark
country, if you can survive there. If you can thrive under the hot lights
of the hatchery. The butcher takes only the best cuts, while she smiles in her
best bow-collared blouse. A little sad, but the best game in town."
from TAURUS