Measure

Thanks to this chapbook I was compelled to appreciate a part of my body that I usually take for granted – the tongue. Not only does it keep coming up in different poems, but it is the word’s multi-layered definition that enriches the reading. There’s the tongue’s relation to food, its sexual uses, its relation to language and the incantatory style of the writing reminds me of speaking in tongues, as though Legg-Rowan were trying to conjure up some small magic. Hopefully I’m not making this sound more complicated then it actually is, because the poems themselves are written very simply, it’s just that they have a very strong emotional and physical impact. A few that are especially worth mentioning are ‘Measure’, ‘Fall’ and ‘Where Have all the Johnny Cowboys Gone’ but that’s not to say the others shouldn’t be read too. This is an extremely physical read that appeals to various levels of hunger, and although it’s not bound by a chocolate cover and does not come with a complimentary mint on the last page, you’ll understand when you read it. It’s even got sexy pictures that are enough to make you want to go lick someone. (Heather Ball)

poetry chapbook, 14 pages, Shelagh M. Legg-Rowan, $4, Thirteenth Tiger Press, Toronto, www.13thtigerpress.com