A vivid book about trauma, bipolar mental illness, and the magical journey of healing.
Orange and the Necromancers is a metaphor for the many stages of mental and emotional health over the past eight years of the author's life. Each stage is based upon a particular story archetype: Maiden, Lover, Hero, Parent, Queen, Ruler, Crone, and Mage.
It is an epic story of visual language and tragic optimism. Fans of Warsan Shire will love this lyrical poetry.
A great gift for individuals on their own mental health journey as they search for beautiful healing.
A vivid book about trauma, bipolar mental illness, and the magical journey of healing.
Orange and the Necromancers is a metaphor for the many stages of mental and emotional health over the past eight years of the author's life. Each stage is based upon a particular story archetype: Maiden, Lover, Hero, Parent, Queen, Ruler, Crone, and Mage.
It is an epic story of visual language and tragic optimism. Fans of Warsan Shire will love this lyrical poetry.
A great gift for individuals on their own mental health journey as they search for beautiful healing.
Once, I knew of
two children,
Orange and Sister.
They both loved
The Boy with Two Names—
Day and Night.
Sister was
loved by Day
and Orange was
loved by Night,
and one evening,
The Boy with Two Names
slit Night’s throat.
Night was dead,
but Orange did
not believe it.
For days Orange,
washed herself with
Night’s grief.
Sister told Orange
that if she ever
wished for peace,
she must realize
who the boy was.
But
Orange thought
the boy to be treacherous.
So she went
to the graves,
and made fire
with the bitters.
Orange says,
she will await,
until the boy un-hides
himself,
until the
necromancers
sing
and give Orange back
her light.
But Sister knows
Night is dead.
And the necromancers
lie.
Orange intent,
sings the songs of
the late.
She is not alone.
Others are with her,
and together,
they welcome
different spirits,
viler,
and terribly strange.
Following in the tradition of many a poet, Desney Carlene spins her own struggles and experiences into poignant lyricism. Carlene takes her readers on an emotional journey through the turbulent years of her life, planting markers along the way in the form of archetypal figures; the Maiden, the Lover, the Hero, the Parent, The Queen, The Ruler, the Crone and the Mage. The collection begins with a trigger warning and it is to be heeded. For any reader struggling through dark times, it is important to note that these are dark poems written from Carlene’s own dark times, sprinkled through with moments of light and healing.Â
Carlene’s poetry is filled with enjambment, echoing the fragmented time in her life that she is putting to paper. Each section and archetype brings along its own tone with certain images repeating through the work. Some such images are gardens, eggs, and milk which work to create an environment that speaks to both womanhood and growth.Â
This collection certainly has its hits, but there are some poems that fall flat. In the beginning of the collection there are a few poems that get bogged down by overly-superfluous language, where meaning could be conveyed in a stronger manner through more precise diction. However, the work seems to grow in strength as the collection proceeds with stronger works like The Children and Eat the Stygian Bread (After Everything Everywhere All At Once) in the later sections. There is emotion in the words that Carlene has put to paper here, but that emotion could stand to be more deftly wielded.Â
Those going through similar struggles and looking for companionship may find a home in these poems, but it does stand to appeal to a wider audience as well. Poems like Affirmation I will speak to fans of Rupi Kaur while poems like In Summer I Planted Salvia will engage readers of Pascale Petit.
*Trigger warning for self-harm