El Rey of Gold Teeth / Reyes Ramirez / 2023
A striking contribution to the poetry of the Central American diaspora, Ramirez wrestles with a heritage of toxic masculinity and writes poems that unpack the weight of colonization, the climate crisis, and loss. Reyes intentionally codeswitches in a staggering, sometimes awkward manner that some readers will find jarring and cacophonous. I did, but for me, this move was obviously purposeful and amplified the pain and longing in Reyes work. The trip of the tongue is a trip I experienced many times in my lifetime of losing and acquiring my Spanish. The collection includes perfect poems about la pulga, an elementary school dance party, a mother's stern advice, pupusas, and more. It's neatly knitted together with 3 or so different series, a clean interweaving of cosmic and climate metaphors, and a soft but pointed voice moving with control and sturdiness. This book is also the first book I chose for this little book club I've started in Chicago. It moved me frequently, with image dense contrapuntals about kittens surviving a hurricane and a series of poems about how the father passed down a troubled masculinity.
3.5/5