Water Lessons Poems

Water Lessons Poems by Lisa Dordal, published by Black Lawrence Press in 2022, is a collection of 88 pages that delves into the complexities of grief and personal loss. The poems present deeply personal narratives that intertwine the speaker’s experiences with her mother’s alcoholism and death, her father’s dementia, and her own struggles with childlessness. This edition offers a reflective exploration of the interplay between reality and imagination, faith and doubt, as the speaker navigates her emotional landscape.

Readers will find a rich examination of themes such as family dynamics, the impact of systemic racism, and the nuances of grief. Dordal’s work scrutinizes the patriarchal structures of her upbringing while also contemplating a divine presence that remains both tangible and elusive. The collection ultimately celebrates the speaker’s unborn daughter as a “lovely fiction,” embodying the duality of presence and absence. This thoughtful exploration of personal and cultural narratives invites readers to engage with the complexities of loss and identity.