What We Lost in the Swamp by Grant Chemidlin is a beautiful and introspective collection of poems that takes readers on a journey of self-discovery. The poems examine the different shades and meanings of green - nature, inexperience, jealousy, burgeoning love, and exploring sexuality - and weave them together in a lush and vibrant tapestry.

Chemidlin's poetry is introspective and whimsical, inviting readers to untangle their curated selves from their true selves. The slow unfurling of the poems is like a love letter to growth and rediscovery, inviting readers to question who they want to be in this world and how they want to build a life.

One of the most striking aspects of What We Lost in the Swamp is the raw honesty of the poems. They are not a coming out, but a coming in to one's truest self. The poems are vulnerable, yet empowering, and invite readers to embrace their true selves without fear or shame.

Overall, What We Lost in the Swamp is a beautiful and thought-provoking collection of poems that will resonate with readers on a deep and personal level. Chemidlin's poetry is a celebration of self-discovery, growth, and the power of embracing one's true self.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I can never really articulate what makes a poem resonate me and seems lost on me but this book is a perfect combination of both. I appreciated how Chemidlin made me feel like some parts of were a conversation, some anecdotal, and some observation so there was variety. I definitely connected more with his poems of memories but found some of the others too saturated in metaphors for my liking. A solid 3 stars of the hits and misses for me.

I can’t wait to read more of Chemidlin’s poetry, this collection was amazing!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher

This was an extremely interesting collection of poems that I didn't expect. I really enjoyed the way that nature was used to relate to so many different topics and the span of topics that were covered. Seeing nature used to identify with sexuality, mental health and identity. The use of language was emotive and evocative and support a narrative through the collection.

"Little bird, / let my autumn shed your tree, / let me lay down its thistle crown / of crimson leaves." (THE BOY & THE BLUE BIRD)

What We Lost in the Swamp is a poetry collection as rich and lush as a forest, exploring the world and one's place in it through the lens of nature.

This is my first collection from poet Grant Chemidlin, but I do love the publisher and was excited to check it out after reading the description. The poetry inside is beautiful in a haunting way, navigating Chemidlin's personal experiences and struggle with his sexuality as a child via comparisons to plants and nature. Some of my favorite poems were: PORTRAIT OF A PAINTER PAINTING, PORTRAIT OF A PLANT ON FIRE, THE DRESSMAKER, THE YEAR I VOLUNTEERED AT HOSPICE CARE.

I do feel like a handful of these poems had weaker endings. I noticed a trend that some poems would have strong, metaphorical beginnings, that would begin to taper at the end to the mundane and general. I wished that there had been a strong thread throughout this collection to tie them more together and a more concrete theme, but overall it was a lovely collection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

This is a beautiful collection of poems. I found the latter poems the best and most relatable for me personally. I loved the themes of finding yourself, of love and jealousy, and the links to nature interwoven throughout. Like all collections, the poems in this varied in quality. There was a lot of simplicity which I enjoyed.

The book contains poems about youth, coming out, nature and strong emotions.

I love how simply yet beautifully the poems are written. They are very emotive and paint a very clear picture. Although I cannot relate to some of these experiences, they were described in such a way that I at least felt that I could understand how it would feel.

What We Lost in the Swamp is a collection of poetry exploring youth, growth, being a queer teenager, nature, and jealousy, amongst other things. The poems have a straightforward style and some memorable imagery (I think "holding out own internalized / homophobia like great big onions / in our hands" was my favourite, or at least the one I remember most now), but for lots of people will have relatable moments encapsulated within. The nature imagery in a lot of the poems is more direct than a lot of poetry that uses nature as imagery and metaphor, which may or may not be your thing, and some of the poems I found didn't quite work for me in their simplicity, but that's often true in collections. I liked the poems about being a queer teenager at school the most, especially the opening poem 'When I Realised I Was a Green Tree Frog in Another Life', as these really hit home and make you consider your own experiences at school.

I like reading poetry, it has always been a favorite pastime of mine. I think the author has written excellent poems that show real emotions. I think people who enjoy reading about poetry that also tells a story will really enjoy this book.

I liked the natural imagery of these poems, but unfortunately they didn't sing to me. Some of them are really good, just not what my soul needed at that moment

This collection of poetry was uniquely beautiful, full of remarkable lines that make you pause and think and then wish had thought of yourself. I found something to like or appreciate in every poem and several of them were extremely incisive and relatable. I found that I liked the poems earlier in the book better than those towards the end, but I think that’s just a matter of preference. In particular, “To the Popular Kids Who Called Me Gay”, “The Plea”, and “The Stoner Safari”, were utterly heartbreaking and completely compelling. I would be very interested to read anything else this author creates.