Flesh Given to Bone

I was given a complimentary copy of A Clock of Human Bones by Matthew Borczon from Yellow Chair Press. This is my first time experiencing Borczon’s work as well as a book from the Yellow Chair. That being said, this book did not disappoint. A Clock of Human Bones is a brutal archive of experiences of a soldier. There’s no sugarcoating here. Readers won’t be protected from the actual horrors of battle, and although that may turn some away, it is absolutely necessary. This book forces you into the gritty terror of what our veterans go through every day.

A Clock of Human Bones is a 2015 Yellow Chair Chapbook Contest Winner, and after reading through this short but heavy collection, it is easy to see why it was selected. Borczon leaves you with images you won’t be able to let go of. He is a masterful poet weaving together fragments of bones, meat, and gristle. Each poem leaves a bit of grease on your hands, but like blood, it’s not something that’ll wash off so easily.

Grab this book. You won’t be disappointed. Your body will go through a rush of emotions, but you won’t be disappointed when you open this epic chapbook of poetry. This book is reality, and it’s something that I’m happy to have been able to read.