‘Poems for Ex Lovers’

Poems for Ex Lovers is the third book in the self-published trilogy celebrating anonymous poetry and art all about love, loss and the strange emotions in between. In total, 48 individuals collaborated with their personal writing and art to bring this book to life, spearheaded and funded by Emma Renly.

She noted the book is a creative collaboration between many different folks from outdoor towns all over the West, with a big influence from the Gorge community.

“It’s common for people in the Gorge to bond over sports — whether it’s whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, kiting or some other form of outdoor recreation,” Renly said. “Being able to connect with others through the trials and tribulations of failed relationships has created meaningful conversations in ways that I was priorly missing.”

In total, there are 77 poems and 30 art pieces split into five different chapters representing parts of The Wheel of Time, which highlight the different solstices, equinoxes and midpoints in between on a calendar year. Each chapter has an intro that intertwines those celebrations with the theme of the poems.

Mosier resident Laurel Brown wrote the intro for the second chapter, Spring Equinox/Mabon, which pulls on the themes of reflection and liminal space, as she noted the intro “... is all about transition periods and finding yourself in between the stages of growth.”

Brown’s artwork is also featured throughout the chapter pages, collages that mix imagery of change such as butterflies, phases of the moon, old photos, and flowers, noting that they symbolize her own past and hope for growth in the future.

“I wanted to try to visualize the beauty and pain of letting things go and letting your path unfold naturally,” Brown said. “They symbolize my own past and hope for growth in the future.”

Poems for Ex Lovers also received a small grant from the Hood River Cultural Trust to help directly with publishing costs. The organization supports projects that increase public engagement and accessibility through the arts.

Renly plans to use all the profits from the current book to publish another anthology of anonymous poetry with a different theme. For those interested in purchasing a copy, they are available online at sockeyepublishing.com and at Klindt’s Booksellers & Stationers in the Dalles.

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Emma Renly and Laurel Brown are reporters for Columbia Gorge News.

Staff report

Columbia Gorge News