REVIEW: Trampled Underfoot by Shauna Skye

Title: Trampled Underfoot
Author: Shauna Skye
Genre: Poetry
Price: $13.01
Publisher: Lulu
Point of Sale: Lulu
Reviewed By: Emily Veinglory

I have always had a weakness for vampire poetry, so I thought I would give Shauna Skye’s poetry and lyric collection “Trampled Underfoot” a go. I was, for the most part, underwhelmed.

Ms Skye is primarily a musician (although also a writer, photographer, voice talent, second life aficionado and probably a bunch of other stuff). However her primary interest in music might explain why most of this work does not stand well as simple poetry. There is a tendency to reach for the obvious rhyme and familiar imagery (birds, butterflies, the sea) that might not have been an issue if set to music. There is also the occasion obvious rhyme passed by, like: my reality’s thought to be falsity. (Fallacy, surely?)

The formatting was also a little erratic with various font sizes and a typo or too (unless “Hell englarges” has a deeper meaning that I am misinterpreting).

Nevertheless there were some wry or well observed sections such as in “Open mic” where Ms Skye writes: this week a 90 pound girl / sings a cappella out of tune / but she has friends / and they applaud / their goddess. It was just that in the end this collection felt more like a cappella for the writer’s associates rather than a wider audience.

Rating: 4.5/10