Bioku (author of We Ponder) creates a charming collection of 70 poems separated into four parts that examine, with wit and feeling, humans' grounding in society, self, and, in the first section, “elements.” Chock-full of Bioku's observations on nature, adventure, natural calamities, and love, “Grounded in Elements” finds Bioku taking satisfaction in appreciating not only individual existence but the lives of other living beings as the poems’ speaker revels in her soul's sensitivity to vital parts of life that we too often let languish: "I wonder about what it would be like to take camp in the woods. / For more than awhile. / Where the trees meet the water across from the mountains. / Loveliness undisturbed by human development." Collectively, these verses echo the dream of detaching from everyday responsibilities in favor of a richer form of living.

The urgency of such reveries is emphasized in later sections that find the speaker caught back up in practical, desperate, and consumerist ways of living. In "Grinds & Flows," from a section titled "Suffering & Smiling," the speaker faces the competitiveness that motivates society: "They say work hard and play harder". She’s candid about refusing full conformity—"But I'm not fond of games," she adds—but of course must work despite inner turmoil at the pressure and disdain for expectations. “Summer Days” offers consolations: rind, birds, “the smell of fresh pasta,” dogs tussling at play.

Through such casually observant poems, Bioku skillfully ties personal crises such as health and body issues to the broader battlefield of capitalism and racism, linking individual experiences and issues of identity to societal and systemic constraints. The collection's strength lies in Bioku’s ability to capture the dichotomy of human existence—balancing the appreciation of life’s richness with its harsh realities and complexities. At the collection’s best, Bioku invites readers to feel their way through the tribulations people face each day–and toward relief from them as well.

Takeaway: Observational and pointed poems of facing society and wanting more.

Comparable Titles: Rupi Kaur's The Sun and Her Flowers, Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric.

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Editing: A-
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