The Blue Dress

This is a good collection to own, along with Ohio Blue Tips by Jeanne E. Clark and The Photos In The Closet by Daniel E. Lopez.

I don't know how she writes about the physical ache, the terrible bruise in a young girl's heart who is picking out the dress for her mother to be buried in. How can she know this exact pain and write about it in such a way that the words heal? Townsend uses both poetry and prose poems in this collection to display her grasp of both feeling and craft. There are lots of other skillfully distilled moments-- some sad, some giddy with the pure intensity of a remembrance (read "My Life as a Horse") in this book to show that she has a dazzling amount of both in abundance.Poetry that can express what I have felt simmering inside me and have longed to say is a treasure, so I have to say this book is a treasure chest of such deeply felt and elegantly articulated writing that I am grateful.Don't be surprised if you buy several copies to give to your friends.