What to Count
- 2023 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Poetry (General)
Sound. Alise Alousi sounds her words to arrive as cadence, as music, as magic. Sounds easy, until you realize how large her collection of eye teeth would be if she traded her secret with other poets. A Kresge Literary Arts Fellow and the recipient of awards from Knight Arts Detroit and Mesa Refuge, Arab American Alousi works at InsideOut Literary Arts.
Poetry
Were you inspired by myth, religious texts, redacted promises
from the Elements of Style? Was there a view from your window
triangle of blue between thick branches?Did you squeeze your eyes closed until colors transformed
into birds of prey? Open the book to a specific page,
circle every seventh word?Was there an impediment of your own creation, a pain
below your heart, a way you chose not to breathe, a rock
you put between your toes?Anecdotally, could you say it was a miracle,
the way the words washed over you,
bathing your face in light?
Reviewed by
Matt Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
