Shawna Butler Reviews Raw, Honest Collection of Coming-of-Age Poetry
The Program
Megan Fennya Jones
Goose Lane Editions
Megan Fennya Jones’ poems are raw, honest and read like a coming-of-age story. This collection takes me along for a ride with Jones as she travels the world for her modelling career. It’s not all glitter and glamour. She battles with agencies, her thighs, clothing, an eating disorder, men and her recovery.
Her recovery is highlighted in all the poems titled The Program. Kyla her caseworker helps Jones with the recovery process. For me, the following excerpt exemplifies the power in this collection:
Kyla teaches me to say symptoms
I can’t say vomit or starvation
That would be triggering
I can say Last night I had symptoms
I can say I’m hiding symptoms from my boyfriend
I can say I’m afraid my symptoms are going to kill me
Jones is the author of the chapbook Normal Women, which was released a few years ago. The Program is Jones’ first poetry collection. Her poetry has appeared in journals in North America and been a finalist in an international poetry contest.
Jones has a great future in writing. Her poems will tug at all your emotions. I know it’s not always easy to share experiences like these. Thank you for sharing.
Here, she shares in verse an incantation for recovery shared by her caseworker:
I know your pain
even as I recognize it as separate and distinct from my own
I send you strength and I have the confidence
that you have the power
and the will to survive
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