Wire Rings, by Daria Deptula

Poetry, chapbook, 20 pages, from Bottlecap Features. Wire Rings is Daria Deptula’s debut poetry chapbook. In twelve abstract prose poems, this collection explores the onset of anticipatory grief and the idea that love is not enough. It uses the non sequitur and the nonsensical to illustrate the creeping dread of saying goodbye to someone not yet gone and the lingering presence of someone long gone. In metaphor that juxtaposes imagery of the natural world and the mundane, this collection examines how it feels to reminisce and yearn all at once. Poems such as “The Wretched” and “Inclement Weather Evacuation” draw upon the nostalgia of forgotten love, while those including “Fiberglass Heart” and “Untitled (Late Spring)” consider foretelling the end of love. Wire Rings seeks to explore the many ways that love can be lost. Daria Deptula is an author and early childhood educator. They hold a B.A. in History and an undergraduate certificate in Creative Writing from The University of Texas at Austin. They published several short stories before the release of their debut novel, Solastella, in late 2020 from Thurston Howl Press. Wire Rings is their first poetry collection. When they’re not reading or writing, Daria enjoys creating mixed-media collages, playing the piano and mandolin, and spending time in nature. They live in Austin, Texas.