Francis is a writer with real grit and this book feels like pure filth in more way than one. The ‘ammonia coral' covering the pipes in a toilet is one graphic description, and sexually explicit descriptions such as ‘you made my body your altar’ are not shied away from, but retain the imagery and distance necessary for this kind of poetry.

The writing is cryptic and often uses words from other languages or folklore and mythology, which sometimes have religious connotations- I feel there is a lot to unpack here and if I had to say the themes which Francis is exploring in this chapbook, I would say sexuality, gender and society, but this would do little to shed light on the poems’ meanings!

Some of the poems feel like they are written from personal experience, which left me wondering about Francis’ personal life due to poems like ‘Redeem’, about a man called X who has spent time in prison and is living in squalor, and ‘At the Urinal’ where he seems to be accompanied by a drug addict.

The book is beautifully designed and put together by Black Light Engine Room Press

For just £5 it’s a steal – a collection which can be reread due to its layered meanings.

Find out more about Francis here.

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