3/5 stars

What's it about? Rivera’s debut book of poetry gathers meditations on language, the uncertainty of our times, and the nature of grief.

How’d I find it? I picked up this collection while browsing the poetry shelves at Powell’s.

Who will enjoy this book? The Blue Mimes recalls Ocean Vuong’s Time Is a Mother in its descriptions of losing a parent and the link between loss and heritage.

What stood out? Rivera writes in both English and Spanish; the mingling of language challenges us to find the right words for experience using the accumulations of our personal histories. The Blue Mimes fails the “wound” test, but Rivera’s plays with abstraction and form make for interesting reading.

Which line made me feel something? This description of holding a newborn from “The House It Is”: “You were astonished by her smallness, held her in two hands the way you would hold and funnel birdseed.”