Come Clean by Joshua Nguyen
Come Clean
by Joshua Nguyen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Ratings 4.4/5
Synopsis
Joshua Nguyen's sharp, songlike, and often experimental collection compartmentalizes past trauma—sexual and generational—through the quotidian. Poems aim to confront the speaker's past by physically, and mentally, cleaning up. Here, the Asian-American masculine interrogates the domestic space through the sensual and finds healing through family and in everyday rhythms: rinsing rice until the water runs clear, folding clean shirts, and attempts at re-creating an unwritten family recipe. Yet past wounds remain present like permanent marker under layers of paint or spilled fish sauce set into car upholstery. Infused with the Shinto-inspired organizing practices of KonMari and the catchy nihilism of Mitski's songs, the poems in Come Clean unpack, organize, and tidy up life's messy joys and hurtful chaos with intimacy, grace, and vulnerability.
No matter how smattered my insides,
I am relieved that I left my room tidy—
One less ugly sight.
I always wanted to die clean & pretty
while my dreams made music in the night.
—Excerpt from "Last Words"
My Thoughts
Come Clean by Joshua Nguyen is an amazing collection of poetry. These are poems about past trauma, love, family, and the life struggles. Joshua shares his struggles, fears and triumphs with the reader and invites them into his mind and heart. Poetry is about finding beauty in the details of one's day-to-day life and inspiring others to do the same. A world as beautiful and poetic like this is wasted when someone chooses to overlook a flower growing at the corner of the pavement or ignore the sweet songs that birds compose and perform sing. Come Clean is a soulful book in terms that the poet has explored the depths of the experiences of the human emotions we all can relate to.
Poetries in this book are a bonus to the overall reading experience giving you an insight into the poet’s mind. Simple, measured and heart touching verses leaves a soothing impression upon the reader. Poetry gives meaning to our lives. For many of us, it's a way of understanding the world around us. This book is an attempt to bring together the greatest words ever written by an amazing author Joshua Nguyen.
This poetry book is absolutely amazing. I loved it so much, every poem became my favourite. Even the poems which were very short had some depth to them. I can read this book a thousand times more and i still won't get bored.
The words are simple yet effective. The book gives all the hope and it ends on a very beautiful note. Strongly recommended, if you are a poetry lover.
Highly Recommended!
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