“Here’s what I know – there’s power
in this stone, that fits in the palm of my hand.
The feel of the grass beneath my feet.
There’s magic in simple things.”
‘Untitled’, Bad Omens
Witch lit is having a real moment right now. From Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to Cari Thomas’ Threadneedle and Francesca May’s Wild and Wicked Things, there is witch-fic everywhere. Personally, I love reading about witches, so am loving seeing it really make a resurgence. This trend is now becoming increasingly popular in poetry collections too. With Alice Godliman’s ‘The Book of (Seeing Past the) Shadows’ already on my shelf, I knew that picking up ‘Bad Omens’ by Jessica Drake Thomas was for me. And I was not disappointed.
‘Bad Omens’ is Jessica Drake Thomas’ sophomore collection of poetry, written during lockdown in 2020. That can be seen throughout, the collection resonating around escapism both through our own worlds, and through TV and film. She weaves these pop culture references throughout, everything from the Titanic to Penny Dreadful. But don’t worry, if you don’t know the source material that doesn’t take away from the collection. And, if you do, this will blow you away.
It is an intoxicating collection, filled with brooding atmosphere and a powerful and direct voice. Once you begin, the collection becomes impossible to put down. Favourites within the collection include ‘Belladonna’, ‘Dark Alchemy’ and ‘Obsessions with Tragedies’, all of which are built of beautiful images that you can’t stop thinking about.
‘The Sea Witch’ was a particular favourite of mine in the collection, and a key example of the incredible voice and language of this collection:
‘I close the bright stars
of my eyes. Satiated,
I sleep, sinking into the deep’
Drake-Thomas is an incredibly visual storyteller, creating scenes within our minds that stay with us past the page. As a person who can’t think of anything better than being by the sea, this spoke to my soul in a way not many poems can.
This collection is hauntingly beautiful. I was transfixed from beginning to end. I would recommend Bad Omens to anyone looking for their gothic poetry fix, or seeking that bit of escapism from a still chaotic world.
You can buy Bad Omens here.
Thanks to Querencia Press for the review copy of this collection.
Mel Piper 