Time is a Mother is the second collection from beloved poet Ocean Vuong, and his writing is as beautiful and raw and intimate as ever. Grappling with the death of his mother, as well as his own addiction, Vuong explores the grief and love and history that continues to shape him. Formally more confident than ever, these poems dance masterfully between prose, narrative, and sparse shreds, filled with Vuong's characteristically lyrical and dreamlike imagery. My personal favourite was 'Amazon History of a Nail Salon Worker' - a moving portrait of Vuong's mother in the last year of her life, composed solely from each of her mundane monthly purchases. Poetry isn't everyone's cup of tea, but Vuong is definitely one to try - there's bound to be something in here that gets you in the heart.
