Shy Girl
If this poetry collection is anything to go by, Laura is not a particularly happy person. That’s okay, unhappiness can make for good poetry. Unfortunately, Laura’s poetry is frequently melodramatic to the point of parody. I did like “Secret Rose” with its evocative opening of “A rose is buried/ deep within my heart/ of stone.” But as for other poems with lines like “I close my eyes in my demise” or “I must not deviate beyond these lines within the confines of society” or “How does one love in a world so cruel,” well, cliches are not substitutes for genuine emotional insight. Laura’s model is apparently Stevie Smith. But, so far, she lacks Smith’s originality, warmth and humour. (KR)
zine, #1, $2, Laura DeLeon, 64 Driftwood Ave., Downsview, ON, M3N 2M5