Amanda Anastasi’s Taking Apart the Bird Trap is a profound exploration of the duality of personal and collective experience, set against the backdrop of Naarm/Melbourne’s western suburbs. This poetry collection delves into themes of loss, migration, domestic unrest and the transformative nature of grief – all the while underpinning these explorations with a quiet contemplation of love.
The narrative-lyric structure of Taking Apart the Bird Trap is anchored in a locale that straddles a bustling main road and a serene watercourse within a mixed residential/industrial area of Naarm’s west. This setting serves as a microcosm for broader human experience beyond this mundane space, reflecting the muddied dichotomy between the chaos of urban life and the tranquillity of nature. Anastasi’s descriptions of this landscape allow us, the reader, to traverse its streets and waterways alongside the poet.
Central to the collection is the theme of paternal death, as well as the complicated relationship between him and the poet. This event acts as a catalyst, a kind of lyric turn, prompting reflections on the migrant experience in Australia across generations.
Anastasi captures the essence of first and second-generation migrants, portraying their struggles aspirations, and the intricate dynamics of identity and belonging. Through the lens of the migrant experience, Anastasi explores the complexities of cultural heritage and assimilation.
These poems reflect on the tension between preserving one’s roots and adapting to a new environment, and the restlessness borne from domestic discord, conjuring an assemblage of familial tension marked by both love and pressure.
In ‘Inside the Apartment’, Anastasi examines the collection’s central image: that of the bird trap. “Set with shaky wire, where his heart / should be, that catches purple, red, yellow-plumed / birds that fly out and in again,” she writes. “I talked about forgiveness.”
Grief emerges as a transformative force throughout Taking Apart the Bird Trap. Anastasi’s portrayal of mourning is inclement, guiding us through the layered, non-linear process of understanding and recovery. Throughout, she suggests that, through the depths of sorrow, we can find a renewed sense of resolution and understanding.
Anastasi’s poetic style is both haunting and transcendent. Her use of language is meticulous, constructing imagery that remains in the reader’s mind. The poems are imbued with a sense of unease, challenging us to confront uncomfortable nature of the complex – and often contradictory – feelings of grief. Yet, amid this disquiet, there is a transcendent quality, offering glimpses of beauty, jagged at the edges.
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Taking Apart the Bird Trap is not just a collection of poems. It’s a cohesive narrative that invites readers to embark on a journey of introspection. Anastasi’s ability to weave personal experiences with broader societal themes makes this work both intimate and universal. It challenges its readers to reflect on their own lives, relationships – and the environments they inhabit. In so doing, Anastasi achieves a masterful exploration of the human condition, set against the vivid backdrop of Naarm’s west.
Taking Apart the Bird Trap, Amanda Anastasi
Publisher: Recent Work Press
ISBN: 9780645973280
Format: Paperback
Pages: 108pp
Publication: September 2024
RRP: $19.95
