‘Hello Again’
— Hannah Cohen
Note to self: Don’t ever die
How do you write a poem using the word “clickbait”? Very purposefully, and in ways that make such a strange and often joked-about word beautiful, which is what I enjoy about Brandon Amico’s newest poem in Birdfeast. The warp and weft of earth and the artificial is absolutely stunning, with images of satellite dishes, TVs, and cherry trees—items and places that conjure up particular associations about American culture. You can smell the rain and death in this poem, which only makes the word “clickbait” even more extraordinary. ‘Hello Again’ considers the disconnect and viscera of history, as well as what we look for after it’s gone.