We Swallow(ed) Spiders in our Sleep

We Swallow(ed) Spiders in our Sleep
Poems by Zachary C. Bush
Pudding House Publications

We Swallow(ed) Spiders in our Sleep is a well-designed chapbook that contains thirty-four powerful poems by Zachary C. Bush. There is no sloppiness or self-indulgence to Zachary’s poems. Every word is chosen and placed with brilliant precision. Zachary’s genius lies in his ability to finely craft his poems without sacrificing the meat and blood that draw readers in. Although the majority of Zachary’s poems are not readily accessible, they lack condescension and pretension. Rather, his poems make no apology for their intelligence and unique insights.

In the title poem, Zachary makes the grotesque beautiful and sensual. He avoids cliches in lines that illustrate the painful ambiguities of a romance. The poem pulses with poignancy.

In Drowning on Floral Print, one of the more personal poems in the collection, Zachary writes about overdosing on the Fourth of July. Zachary relates the horrible sadness of one of the worst moments of his life without self-pity. It’s his true life, but it is also a poem. That is what makes Zachary’s poems so great. His poems do not read like diary entries hastily scribbled out in a self-indulgent stupor. Even when retelling his most deeply personal anecdotes, Zachary is always careful with his craft. Zachary C. Bush cares about his poems. Read his poems and you’ll care, too.