What We're reading: time is a mother

Time is a Mother is a collection of poetry written by Ocean Vuong. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Vuong is an American poet, author, and essayist who has received a number of prizes and awards. Vuong's latest work, published earlier this year, focuses on the pain from his mother's death. The work borrows a lot of themes from his prior novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (2019);  Voung dives deep into memory to wrestle with uncomfortable moments in the past, struggle with masculinity, and bring to light the hardships faced by those in America coming from an American war. Time is a Mother is raw and unfiltered. It doesn't shy away from difficult experiences or emotions. Split into four parts, the book takes on the broken aspects of Vuong's life and gives them new meaning. It plays with time and form, drawing the reader close, but never letting them get too comfortable. 

"Beautiful Short Loser" states, "I mean it when I say I'm mostly / male. That I recall every follicle in the failure the way they'll / remember god after religion: alone, impossible & good. / I know. I know the room you've been crying in / is called America. / I know the oor is not invented yet" (16). Just this snippet of the book shows how Vuong's poetry addresses the hardest issues head on and without shame. Gender, sexuality, and family ties are brought out into the open in these beautiful, thought-provoking poems. 

Time is indeed a mother: loving, gentle, and harsh. After listening to a podcast interview about the book, I felt even more compelled to give these poems another read through. Vuong's poetry reminds me of what poetry does in general. It open my mind and tears up pre-existing beliefs. It expands my capacity to love and trust others. It helps me extend grace to those who hurt me. Time is a mother, and I'm learning from her every day.

To see the podcast episode featuring Ocean Vuong, click here.

Author

Andrea Wagner