Cristina Deptula reviews David Estringel’s poetry collection Blue

Blue-tinted image of an older man in a tank top smoking a cigarette
Savor the thick sweet juice of David Estringel's sensual poetry collection Blue. 

This volume melds luscious food and drink (Red Raspberries) with sacred and religious images (Coda-Switch) to describe unions between lovers. Some pieces incorporate both gustatory and spiritual references (Gimme Some Sweet). Estringel also stirs together Catholic and indigenous spiritualities throughout the book, at times in the same poem. 

Most unions are consummated, yet a few pieces reflect curious "meet-cute' imagination (Coffee House Romance) while others convey loss and longing (Blue Room). Due to the power of the human mind, even the pieces that aren't about an immediate moment of consummation convey intense bodily sensation. 

Some pieces mix both intimacy and the awareness that it cannot last forever (Duende). This book's motifs surfeit us with the sensual joy of nature in summer and autumn, which reminds us of our physical glory and mortality. We enjoy the harvests we share with each other, even if only for a few seasons. 

David Estringel’s collection Blue will be available from Back Room Press in September 2023.