Into the Rhubarb

By Carla Coles

"Into the rhubarb: headed off the road; to get into trouble; a brawl, argument, or squabble."

In her fifth volume of poetry, Carla Coles once again brings us into her inimitable inner world.  This time, along with her odes to the pleasures of coffee and cake and writing, she delves into the darker emotions of betrayal, endings, and coming through the fire with her sense of humour intact and her gift with words honed to a new level of insight.

"Whether the subject matter is painful, wonderful, chaotically confusing, or simply the inappropriating of her own kaleidoscopic inner culture, Carla's perfectly parsed insights are never anything less than a delight. And sometimes there's a sly lesson about how to be human in an inhuman world."    ~ Bruce Barber, author of Jetsam: New and Collected Fictions

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storeylines Press
• Release date: Nov 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215817049

Book preview

Into the Rhubarb

into the rhubarb

into the rhubarb

carla coles

Storeylines Press

Copyright © 2022 by Carla Coles

Cover photo by Alison Coles

Cover design and author photo by Barbara Storey

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Storeylines Press is the publisher of this work. It holds the sole, perpetual, and exclusive license with respect to this work and any derivatives thereof on a worldwide basis. Therefore, any interest in this work should be directed to the publisher at [e-mail]

Land Acknowledgment

This book was written on the traditional lands of the Anishinabek, Haudenosauneega Confederacy, and Anishinaabe, Treaty 29, 1827. As a settler to this area, we acknowledge the importance of the Indigenous people and their importance to this region, nation, and its culture, as well as their unjust treatment by the Canadian government and settlers past and present. We support justice for all missing and murdered women and girls, and healing for those affected by the horrors of residential schools and current injustices.

This book is dedicated to my best friend,

 Tina Gaston, 

who always saves me a seat and holds me space.

---

And also this extraordinary chocolate cake I shared

with said best friend.

---

A slice of chocolate cake on a square white place, with fork

Of spark and connection

Betrayal, heartbreak, loss

Strength, and eventual healing

Maybe even some revenge

contents

Introduction

Part One

Alone

August 29

Beached

Cupped

Elsewhere

Fooled

Inappropriate

Moments

On Hold

On the Dock

Residue

Rifts

Suspended

Tina’s Cottage

The Guest

Tremors

Adventures

The Fight

Falling

Teetering

Night Wanders

Flight

Forward

Almost

Truth

Status

January 25

The View

Still

Quiet

Coping

Immersed

Valid

Drowning

Hard to Explain

Shadow

Jaded

Fractions

Treated

Rough Patches

Ditched

Holes

Options

Imperfections

Directions

Paled

Projection

Release

Lighter

Part Two

Awakening

Separating

Bitter

Smeared

Blame

Cruel Jabs

Difference

Every Time

Fine

Downpour

Glanced

The Night Before

Honestly

Consequences

Life-Logged

Small