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Let the poems of Confetti rain down on you and immerse yourself in their simplicity, their honesty and their trueness.
Confetti is a representation of teenage nostalgia, love and troubles shown from a perspective of a 19 year old girl. The book itself is a journey throughout the conscious and subconscious of a young mind in the years of teenage angst and despair. Often sarcastic, the poems provide the reader with relatable (and sometimes brutally honest) views on the world and reality. Zuzanna is mainly inspired by nature and her own experiences. This collection has been created throughout 2018-2021.
Reading poetry is a deeply personal thing and therefore, that must come out in any review. And I found that this relatively short collection of poems really touched me with the simplicity of the style, the remembrances of childhood and a paternal relationship, the naturalness of the imagery and also, the self-scrutiny caused by the unrest of an anxious mind.
When I learned that Zuzanna Szostak is also known as Untranquilpoet, I presumed that I would be reading in Confetti a tortured amalgamation of verse which would unsettle and unnerve and have me soul-searching for life’s meaning, having been thrown into a state of uncertainty or a less than tranquil state. But that was not the case.
In fact, the reverse is true. I left the reading of these poems feeling quite refreshed and calm in the main, the images that Szostak creates resonating with me, transporting me to places and remembrances of my childhood that were vague recollections made clearer. For instance, the image in the opening poem Tranquility of the girl chasing the “damn insect” is something I know I’ve done, I’ve seen other children do and has a universality to it that you can’t help but feel it as true.
Szostak uses simple images and sensory remembrances to make her verse vivid; for instance, Spring Evening talks of “bright rapeseed fields” and “smell of cows” which immediately transports you without swamping you with a density of language.
It is not all brightness and warmth and the hazy dreamscape of memory though, as Szostak also writes of anxiety and disturbed nights in the poems Dear Mr. Anxiety and Pinched respectively which I thought were particularly powerful, the personification in Dear Mr. Anxiety likening the onslaught of panic like being stalked by a predator intent on harm. Very strong stuff and an excellent poem.
In addition, there are some poems containing philosophical musings and those about relationships, all of which add to a sense of the poet emotionally wrestling with life’s ups and downs, taking comfort in simple things like easy friendships and quiet moments when she can and these are things that you come to expect from a poetry collection.
I loved Confetti: I loved its simplicity, its honesty, its trueness. I like the feeling that it gives me when I remember reading it and that, for me, is what poetry should do.
It's not easy to sum up who I am, enough to make me interesting anyway, so what's essential to know? I love to read. I love to review. I love to write and blog at scuffedgranny.com. Short stories and poems are my main writing successes, winning runner-up plaudits on Reedsy Prompts and Vocal.media.
Confetti is a representation of teenage nostalgia, love and troubles shown from a perspective of a 19 year old girl. The book itself is a journey throughout the conscious and subconscious of a young mind in the years of teenage angst and despair. Often sarcastic, the poems provide the reader with relatable (and sometimes brutally honest) views on the world and reality. Zuzanna is mainly inspired by nature and her own experiences. This collection has been created throughout 2018-2021.
It’s gazing at the reflection of strawberry skies in an untouched lake
making you feel like the child you once used to be
thinking about what your mom is making for dinner
It’s a warm summery breeze
hugging you like that blanket your grandma gave you for Christmas
while you slowly fell asleep
It’s chasing a butterfly in your garden
feeling the wind in your hair
not worrying about anything but that damn insect
Yet now as
we grow older
Why must we be frightened of being tranquil?
I am a 19 year old girl from Poland with a deep passion for literature & poetry. In 2019 I moved alone to Madrid in search of new experiences. I write honest poems reflecting my own emotions and experiences while touching the reader profoundly and causing one to reflect. view profile
Published on April 25, 2021
2000 words
Contains mild explicit content ⚠️
Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆
Genre: Poetry
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