By Carly Smith
In awâsis - kinky and dishevelled, Louise B. Halfe relays poems by way of awâsis, a being with a childlike, mischievous soul and a quick wit. awâsis is gender-fluid and embodies many different characters across Halfe’s compilation of poems. The concept of awâsis may be tricky to grasp, but their character is very fitting for the topics that Halfe covers, as well as for her desire to exude humour and a light-hearted tone.
Halfe’s poems are loosely structured. They contain different sized stanzas and do not rhyme. The choice to make free-flowing, flexible poems parallels awâsis’s personality beautifully. Like awâsis, the forms in her poems keep readers on their toes; just as readers may have trouble predicting what awâsis will do or say next, they may also have trouble knowing when to move their eyes or stop their voices. The structures of Halfe’s poems are unique and whimsical, just like awâsis.
Halfe presents a variety of topics in her poems, including everyday experiences and mishaps, relationships, and sexuality. No matter the subject, Halfe’s words and awâsis’s adventures will leave readers chuckling and perhaps shaking their heads in agreement with a sly smile. Halfe does an amazing job of intertwining humour, wonder, and relatability. Furthermore, she uses word choice cleverly, sometimes choosing a Cree word instead of an English one, and at other times deliberately misspelling an English word. Her choice in language and spelling connects readers to the subject on a deeper level, and I appreciate that this technique is not overused.
Overall, awâsis - kinky and dishevelled is a great book that leaves readers feeling both connected to Halfe’s work and intrigued by the parts they are unable to relate to.