Redheaded Reviews: Poems To Be Afraid Of by Pixie Bruner

This haunting collection of poems explores phobias, from various cornophobias (fear of a particular color) to the made-up phobia coined by cartoonist Gary Larson: Luposlipaphobia, the fear of being pursued by timber wolves around a kitchen table while wearing socks on a newly waxed floor. The poem, "Aichmophobia", a fear of sharp objects, tells the tale of Sleeping Beauty, who has been told to avoid the spinning wheel with its sharp needle. "She's a beautiful idiot, as practical as a decorative vase," and "She could only use a silver spoon because what if a fork tine went rogue?" and is "sheltered from a lifetime of potential pricks.", a statement that could be taken more than one way. Sleeping Beauty stupidly pricks her finger, causing her entire kingdom to enter into a deep, long-lasting sleep.

The poem "High Infidelity (Commitmentphobia)" is another favorite of mine. It examines desire, which "is just an excuse for need. Need-- dressed to kill, Tarted up, tipsy on stilettos". This poem also looks at the physicality of love, desire, and need. The imagery of the crisp white sheets with wet spots and the "id-entity" make this a poem worth reading. The artwork in this book is amazing. The creepy picture of a young girl with button eyes for the poem "Koumpounophobia, the fear of buttons looks like something out of the scary movie Coraline, based on Neil Gaiman's best-selling book. The author is a good friend of mine, but that doesn't mean she isn't an incredible writer. This collection includes some of her greatest works, aside from the Dream Fruit poems she wrote for Katabatic Circus Vol. 2, which are fabulous. This book was just published in time for Halloween.

Pixie Bruner has been published in such esteemed tomes as Spectral Realms and Strange Horizons, and her book The Body As Haunted was nominated twice for the Elgin.

Quotes

Sensation and desire are easier than love.

They do not cut to the quick of you as easily.

They can be costumed as

love for exposure therapy.

Pixie Bruner (Poems To Be Afraid Of, p.8)

Cynophobia--

Crawling through my skin

to avoid the blues.

Pixie Bruner (Poems To Be Afraid Of, p.12)

Egrets give me regrets

make me scream and regress