At War with the Fireflies

Veronica McDonald's second chapbook of strange poems travels through the shifting realities one encounters when moving out of darkness and into light. These 22 pieces begin with a bleak worldview, in which simple acts of destruction and death construct existence, then develop into revelations of vitality and life beyond the decay of the world. Her use of insects, animals, and caricatures demonstrate the pain and absurdity of living in a meaningless world, and push the reader to experience the denial, confusion, discomfort, frustration, and wonder that permeate the arduous journey out of darkness and into hope, life, and light.