Crystal traces the arc of one woman’s experience after the discovery that her partner is addicted to crystal meth. In a highly original poetic act of reclamation, it plunders the drug itself and makes of it an overarching conceit to articulate the devastating impact of living with a loved one who is utterly changed. Deeply felt, tirelessly inventive, this collection gives voice to addiction’s explosive effect within a family. At the same time it speaks universally and with urgency of the power of poetry to take one through the darkest of times.
Crystal is Ellen Cranitch’s second collection, following The Immortalist (Templar Press), which was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Prize for Best Collection 2018.
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Four canvases of drowning green,
grass so deep, so
apple-filled, it overwhelms
– BONNARD I
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(Bloodaxe Books, 25 April 2024, e-galley, 80 pages, ARC from the Publisher via Edelweiss+)
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This is a new poet for me. I really enjoyed Crystal. The poems felt very intimate as the poet shares something deeply profound and personal with her readers. I don’t think it clear that the poems were about the poet’s partner being a crystal meth addict though this is obvious in a few of the pieces. The poems are all quite different, well-written and engrossing on every level. I found most of the poems stunning. I especially liked Words, Actaeon, Athens II, Revelations, Trust and Prayer. It was a privilege to read these.
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