AngelaVoras--Hills’sLouderBirds,herdebutcollectionofpoetry,isabeautifulstudyofthenaturalworld,motherhood,andtheinherentdesireformeaning.Thiscollectionofcomplexlyricpoemsholdsahauntingabsenceatitscenter,anabsencethatis“impossibletonavigate.“YetVoras--Hillspresseson,untanglingthedistinctionsthatsurroundher(humanandanimal,domesticandwild)withbothbraveryandrespect.Shewrites,“Theboundariesbetweenhomeandtheroad/areinsecure:it’simpossibletonavigatethislandscape./We’veallbeeninthepresenceofsomethingdark/andhavechosennottoseekshelter.“Asthepoethonesinonnamingthevoid,hersurroundingsgrowmorethreatening--butnotoncedoesshesurrenderorturnback.Voras--Hills’spoemsaresmartenoughtoknowthedistinctionsthemselvesaretenuousatbest,andwiseenoughtoknowthatwemustalwayspayourduestotheworldbeyondourdoor.Wondrous,ruminative,andrevelatory,LouderBirdsisacollectionthatisnottobemissed.
