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By Amy Lee “The past does not trust us yet, but I do. I do" The path from girlhood to womanhood can be fraught with complexity, fragility and even spiritually incomplete without a full reflection and reckoning. Anastasia DiFonzo’s A Certain Serenity fearlessly revisits and navigates through the journey from girlhood to womanhood with poetry that is ravishingly raw and rare. She uses experimental forms, well-paced rhythms and haunting narratives which steep into the reader’s soul. Throughout the journey of courage and chronicling the themes of trauma and hope, her words are healing and ultimately, restorative, no matter how deep the trauma. This brave chapbook takes the reader to places that are dark and emotions that are profoundly painful. The depth and intricacy of these explorations are impactful in a way that it feels as if one is pulled into the gripping narrative then exhales from its intensity. The King of Laguna Niguel, Daddy Issues, Pummel and Villanelle of the Mind opens up the vulnerabilities and harms suffered. Silence, Silence in Sestina and Bigger Than Bone are compelling POVs from the victim and are important contributions to the #MeToo movement as these pieces draws out the emotional impact and strength of testimonies. I was particularly drawn to I Do, as this poem dares to reach out for hope and new beginnings despite all the traumas and hurt. Bruised Apple Pantoum, I am Here , October 2, 1993 and Thank God are gentle snapshots of the struggles and triumphs to simply exist, whilst creating space for us to also quietly grieve and reconcile with our own hurtful memories. To Live Forever is a poignant portrait of pain and restoration towards resilience. This debut chapbook is a powerful homage to healing and a reminder that survival is possible: “I am what I love. I am almost there”. DiFonzo is a new voice to be applauded for her unapologetic rawness and courage, particularly, in the #MeToo movement where the battle is to break the silence and to believe the victim's testimony. She has kept the fire of contemporary poetry alive by showing us how truth is best spoken by poetry, whilst weaving meaning and rhythm into her words to ignite salvation and towards self-love. About Anastasia DiFonzo is a San Diego based poet with a cat named Klaus. She came to poetry because after years of silence, it was time to speak, and nothing can capture complexity and wholeness the way a poem can. Enter Book Giveaway Competition Like and follow Anastasia before May 31 2023 to be in the draw to win a copy of A Certain Serenity. Must be over 18 and U.S. resident.
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November 2023
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