Book Review for Bloom and Guts: A Debut Poetry Collection by Scott McKenzie

I received this book for free. This did not impact my review in any shape or form.

Bloom and Guts: a Debut Poetry Collection, by Scott McKenzie, is a poetry collection that illustrates the gravity growth can have on a person’s well-being, whether it be good or bad. The book is separated into 6 parts. Part I: Like a Dream portrays the beauty of the soul people form, despite the misery adulthood puts you through. Part II: of a heart illustrates how chaotic love can be, regardless of whatever peace you may find in the moment. Part III. ripped open describes the violence that can accompany life experiences, especially if they were negative. Part IV. kissed by fire showcases the inevitability that comes from faded hope and a foolish morality, while Part V narrates the confrontation that takes place between someone’s growth and lost innocence. Finally, Part VI. planted in the earth presents how this conflict can be rectified, despite the grief that might come through. Accompanying these parts are images by Dr. Chunhui Li that provide a stark reality to the pain of transformation.

I enjoyed how seemingly unhinged the poems became; although their fonts were initially uniform, as the poet progressed, they began to reflect the poet’s mental state. This definitely showed in Hit Me, and again, Your Head Against the Wall. But I felt that the sentiments echoed in the last poem A Reunion with Nothing. Contrary to popular belief, death comes in different shapes and forms. Sometimes you have to experience the death of a toxic relationship, other times the death of a career field or other dreams you’ve had. Even so, with death comes a peace that you may experience. This peace carries with you until the end of your life, when death, even though it still may be a stranger, comes to you, smiling a friendly smile and leading you into the dark. 

Personally speaking, this book reminded me of clients who have gone through the mental health system for years on end. A lot of them have gone through case worker after case worker, therapist after therapist, and they’re tired. They’re tired of reliving the same trauma every day, tired of working on coping skills that never seem to resolve anything. Regardless, they were still able to grow, despite all the pain they’ve had to endure. They were able to stand on their own two feet, even though they plead otherwise. This more often than not occurs in community health agencies, where the turnover rates and compassion fatigues are high, and the patience is low. These clients do go through a grieving process when they truly find someone they could connect with. Regardless, they go through the journey that McKenzie writes about, and while it’s painful, it can be worthwhile as well. 

Because of this, I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.