Bargaining with the Fall

More about the book

A father's accidental death propels poet Alison Palmer on a profound journey through loss and grief. In her collection, she opens with the poignant question, "Where do you find painlessness?"—a universal inquiry that resonates deeply. Palmer's exploration of her father's paralysis and eventual death reveals not only her personal sorrow but also the vast emptiness that follows any loss. She captures the transformation of her father from a passionate man to a "Hospital / Creature, Room 802," and ultimately to ashes she wishes she could restore to life. Through her verses, he remains vividly alive, especially in moments of intimacy, such as when they pressed their foreheads together—a gesture of connection even in his final days. Palmer's work navigates the complexities of grief, offering intimate reflections that evoke her father's essence through rich imagery and metaphor. He becomes "part of the woven sun," and she, in turn, pledges to "keep you human." Her elegiac poems confront the "cheating god" responsible for her father's fate, revealing a courageous exploration of mortality. As she grapples with the remnants of loss—"flakes of scalp in your brush," "lock boxes with missing keys"—she illustrates that grief is not just about what is lost but also about the transformation it necessitates. In this lyrical collection, Palmer reminds us that while we may unravel, we also emerge into new forms of existence, forever touched by