Slumber Party at the Aquarium
By Jessy Randall
Unicorn Press Inc.
ISBN 0-87775-253-2
ho can resist a book of
poems with titles like:
The Astrological Chart of New York
The Voice of My Tumor
The Extra Chin
Yeast Infection
My Cervix is an Alien?
Jessy Randall writes humor and she does it well! Some of them are laugh out-loud funny and some are mixed with poignancy.
The slim volume contains twenty poems, all accessible to the general reader, perhaps of more interest to females, although most men will probably be amused as well. Note the whimsy in "Why Invertebrates Don't Play:"
I pictured
a snail trying to play,
a slug, a worm.
A snail dancing.
A slug's hopscotch chalk.
On a more somber note, Randall offers us a hint of the impact of the horror of cancer in "The Voice of My Tumor":
Goodbye, my sweet, harmless,
globby blob. You leave behind
a happy lumpless woman
singing joyful songs of farewell.
"The Crater" portrays a melancholy, albeit a mirthful one:
It folded up on itself.
It became boring, flat land.
"Yeast Infection" is a hoot, with the pharmacist cheerily telling the victim to "Have a nice day!" And "My Cervix is an Alien" is just plain, darn funny!
Nicely bound, with a felt collage cover by the author, the book withstood my wear and tear. The author's photograph on the back cover depicts a rather studious, Jessy Randall, cleverly contrasting with an impertinent cat, peering endearingly innocently at the camera.
A delightful and highly recommended read. The copies are limited but contain the added bonus of Ms Randall's signature!
Order information: http://personalwebs.coloradocollege.edu/~jrandall/slumber.html