Please join me in congratuling Kyla Houbolt on the release of Surviving Death published by The Broken Spine. Read on to find out more about this new release.
Surviving Death
Kyla Houbolt
Dive deep into the Kyla Houbolt’s Surviving Death as she sketches with her words. You’ll find yourself on a journey, each poem a window into raw emotions, from the haunting beauty of fading memories to the vivid heartbeat of nature.
“Before She Died” is a gentle embrace of life’s twilight, where ‘white egrets’, ‘flowers’, and ‘great beasts’ become a dance of reality, memory, and dreams. Then, in “It’s Late and Now”, you feel the yearning of younger days, the soft touch of “young firm flesh”, contrasted with the wisdom and acceptance that years bring. It’s like catching a glimpse of a younger self in the mirror and smiling in recognition.
Now, “Apropos the Latest” and “Fruit” – ah, here’s where Kyla’s playful side shines! The first, a cheeky nod to our everyday ‘sins’, while “Fruit” draws you into the very roots of existence, making you taste a mango as if it held stories of ages past.
With “Love Me Some Coyote” and its sister poem, Houbolt introduces the timeless Coyote – that mischievous spirit woven into indigenous tales. This creature straddles our world and something more ancient, reminding us of nature’s fierce grace.
The raw honesty of “Another Death Poem” and “Assistance” hits hard. They’re fearless dives into mortality and life’s toughest choices. You can almost feel the weight of each word, the courage it takes to pen them down.
Ever felt overwhelmed by the rush of modern life? “The Blur of It” and “Be That As it May” voice that very feeling. They’re like shared sighs over a cup of coffee, acknowledging the chaos but also finding strength in it.
“Abidance” is a still moment, a meditation on nature’s serene constancy amidst our human whirlwinds. And “Imagine That”? It’s pure magic, pushing the boundaries of what’s real and what could be.
In essence, Kyla Houbolt’s work isn’t just a collection of poems—it’s a universe. Her voice pulls you in, making you a part of her musings, her dreams, and her reflections. It’s an intimate dance of words that resonate deeply, celebrating the wonder, pain, and beauty of the human journey.
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About Kyla Houbolt
Kyla Houbolt has been writing poems all her life, and began publishing in 2019. Her first chapbook, Dawn’s Fool, was published by Ice Floe press, and her second, Tuned, by CCCP Chapbooks + Subpress. Surviving Death is her third. but then I thought will be her fourth and is forthcoming from Above/ground Press. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Sublunary Review, Barren, Janus, Juke Joint, Moist, Neologism, Ghost City Review, and Stone Circle Review.
Patricia M Osborne 