Arranging Words by Fran Abrams (Poetry)

 

5 STARS!

About the collection:

Arranging Words is Abrams’ second chapbook collection. It is a series of light-hearted poems that asks the reader to look at words from a new perspective. These poems approach letters, words, and everyday phrases in a way that pokes fun at the eccentricities of the English language.

For example, her poem titled “K Knows How to Hide and Seek” begins with the line “Kknocks twice, but we only hear him once,” reminding us how often “k” is a silent letter.

The poem “Poetry Exercise” plays on the meaning of the word “exercise” with the line “Brain cells stretch, lift your arms, reach for words.” Phrases are deconstructed into literal meanings, such as in the poem “Beside Myself” that asks, “Am I myself or the one beside myself?”

This collection illuminates the quirks of the English language in a lively, humorous way while demonstrating a love for words themselves.

Available on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Fran Abrams lives in Rockville, MD. Her poems have been published in literary magazines online and in print and appear in more than a dozen anthologies. In July 2022, the title poem of this book, “Arranging Words,” was a finalist in the 2022 Prime Number Magazine Award for Poetry. Her two previous books are: I Rode the Second Wave: A Feminist Memoir (2022) and The Poet Who Loves Pythagoras (2023). Learn more at www.franabramspoetry.com and Connect on Facebook at Fran Abrams, Poet.

MY THOUGHTS -

What a fun poetry book! One doesn’t usually say that about poetry. But that’s what this was, it was fun to read and fun to try and figure out the clever poems. Just pure entertainment.

A few of these poems in the beginning were about the different letters of the alphabet. As I’m reading this I was thinking of my grandchildren who are homeschooled by my daughter. And I was thinking that this would actually be a great book to use for homeschooling and teaching the kids about the use of different letters and letter combinations! My granddaughter is six years old and I think she would really appreciate these poems.

I love this - taken from tastes like chocolate…

If I knew the ingredients for a poem 

that taste like chocolate, I would present 

my poem to those who insist,

I never understood the poetry.

A collection of poems that taste like chocolate 

might tempt more people to enjoy 

a morsel of insight, a reminder of sweetness,

a serving of comfort.

All of the poems in this book are quite literally "arranging words", or playing with words or a play on words. The author/poet is very clever indeed!

Some of my favorites -

Three Little Words ~ Ha! 

Beside Myself ~ 

and Two Left Feet made me giggle out loud!

 Cold Shoulder… this poet is brilliant!

She totally reminds me of Shel Silverstein! This would be a great book to read out loud with your family and be sure to include the children! 

She has a couple other books out that I might check out. Simply put, Fran Abrams… I love you!

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving an e-book copy of this from Poetic Book Tours. Thank you!