Secondary Poems

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"Secondary Poems" is a remarkable collection of poetry by Jo Bahdo. The book is a sequel to "Primary Poems" and was published on May 04, 2020. It features poems written in both English and French, with the complete English version of each poem provided at the end of the book. The collection showcases Bahdo's talent for capturing human emotions and offers engaging themes, thought-provoking verses, and an artistic design.
In the symphony of words, emotions resonate, and stories unfurl. It is a journey not merely read but experienced, a narrative that beckons you to explore the depths of love, vulnerability, and self-discovery. As you turn each page, may you find echoes of your own journey, resonating in the poetic cadence that weaves the tale of a heart's evolution—a journey best savoured in the sequence of its poetic revelations.
It is this journey, this dance of self-acceptance and love, that the pages of the book before you unfold. A collection of poems, each a carefully crafted stepping stone, invites you to traverse the narrative landscape. Like a tapestry gradually revealing its intricate design, the verses guide you through the labyrinth of emotions and experiences, urging you to savour the progression.
The poems in "Secondary Poems" cover a wide range of themes, from love and loss to societal issues. Bahdo's versatility shines through as the collection includes poems written in both English and French, adding an extra layer of depth and beauty to the work. The French language adds a touch of elegance and beauty to the poems, enhancing the overall artistic experience for the reader.
Each poem in "Secondary Poems" evokes a strong emotional response, leaving the readers pondering over the complexities of life. Bahdo's words have a way of resonating with the readers, making them reflect on their own experiences and emotions.
The poem ‘Sunset’ unfolds like a beautifully orchestrated symphony, where each word carries the weight of emotions and narratives waiting to be discovered. It transcends the boundaries of mere reading, inviting the reader into an immersive experience, akin to embarking on a profound journey. The exploration of love, vulnerability, and self-discovery is delicately woven into the poetic fabric, creating a tapestry that resonates with universal themes.
"Au début" captures the essence of longing and introspection with a poignant brevity. The poem unfolds like a patient reverie, where waiting becomes a nuanced art. The use of memories as a tether to the past introduces a subtle hope, painted with ink that is both evocative yet perhaps reluctant to fully commit. The arid ink symbolizes a hesitancy, a drought of words that may echo the speaker's struggle to articulate the complexities of their emotions.
The realization that it might have always been a solitary journey adds a layer of introspection, hinting at the enduring nature of solitude even within the realm of shared memories. The evocation of a "retro taste" introduces a unique flavour to the narrative, as if the act of reminiscing itself carries a bittersweet quality, akin to the sourness of nostalgia.
The craving for healing within the disruption unveils a vulnerability, a desire for resolution where discord began. The poem, with its economy of words, manages to convey a profound sense of introspection and emotional reckoning. "Au début" stands as a testament to the power of simplicity, allowing readers to navigate the emotional landscape with a raw and unfiltered resonance.
"Secondary Poems" is a remarkable collection of poetry that showcases Jo Bahdo's talent for capturing the essence of human emotions. With its engaging themes, thought-provoking verses, and artistic design, this book is a must-read for poetry enthusiasts. Bahdo's ability to connect with readers through words is truly remarkable.

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I loved this — it reminded me of past situationships?? Vulnerable, interconnected, words that feel like a gut punch (to the heart). These poems are not secondary in any way, shape or form. If you’ve ever fallen for someone — read these poems. A highlight: the bilingual poems, which weave English and French together. Another favorite: “Wine” ( I wonder if in your imagery you just renewed my face // or does the cavity have my shape?) Offensive. Shivers.

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In summary: I found Jo Bahdo’s collection hauntingly beautiful, full of longing, sensuality, visceral images, certain pain, and a profoundly hopeful sadness. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to everyone who likes smart, observant poetry.

Detailed: One of the opening lines of Jo Bahdo’s collection Secondary Poems is “I craved healing where my disruption began.” Not only is this a powerful line, but it in many ways encapsulates the conflicting emotions and painful contradictions at the heart of the following poems. There is an incredible longing projected in the first chapters, one that travels from the outside inwards, from beautiful, romantic sights to the intimate disconnect between two lovers. With this longing, frustration enters the scene, melancholy, loss. A loss of something or someone still being there beside you but disappearing a little bit more every day.

Jo Bahdo also captures the mundanely beautiful aspects in love’s day-to-day: love is sticky, love is salty, love is sensual. The more the poems progress, the more direct and visceral the scenes become. There is a violent, abrupt feel to the rain beating moss to a slippery pulp, the half of a cigarette flying out of a window, the unrooting of the narrator. The mix between English and French gives the green poems an almost dream-like quality, as if they flowed back and forth between two slightly different realities and forms of expression for the narrator where identity slowly grows unstable. This instability is also reflected in the narrator’s conflicting inner desires, their pain of wanting something and increasingly not wanting it at the same time. “Je suis perdu dans l’écho de te pourquoi.”

Overall, the collection has a palpable story, an emotionally painful journey through creeping doubt, crisis, the pain of trying to hold on, the realization of a certain goodbye and the grief of having said it. There is also a subtlety to the pain that demonstrates the growing maturity of the narrator throughout this journey. The ending poems are bittersweet ones, ones that speak of pain having passed over and all the way through and leaving someone completely changed. The journey is beautifully completed by the last words, where the narrator moves along to a new freedom by going “out of script.” It is as smart and thematically fitting a conclusion as any one could wish for. What an impressive piece of art!