I Have Decided To Remain Vertical

Gayelene Carbis, in her second collection I Have Decided To Remain Vertical, pushes ideas and images beyond autobiography into that slightly surreal, sometimes whimsical, often heartbreaking territory of the poem that sings even as it laments, that can bring artfulness and authenticity into communion, and balances itself on a knife-edge of irony.

These poems are as raw and real as they need to be. One of the most heart-tearing poems in Carbis's first collection was the one titled, "This is What Happened", and her new collection is as honest and riveting as that poem was, because always with Gayelene's poetry you know, and feel, what happened and what is happening. With each poem in this new book I find that "I hover on the first step then wade right in" and discover that inside each poem "I hold the colour of the sky / in my arms, and swim" - Kevin Brophy

Navigating gender-based oppressions and freedoms with skill and daring, Gayelene Carbis's second collection is a joy to read. Spoken with an assurance of voice, these brave works are sharply observed. Were it not for their compassion and poignant humour, the poems could break your heart. A deeply-engaging collection from an award-winning poet. - Anne Elvey

I Have Decided To Remain Vertical, Gayelene Carbis's second collection of poetry, is an unflinching, acerbic meditation about the way we live now. The humour is black, the tropes are deft, her voice is assertive but never shrill. There is beauty here in this book, as well as a clear-eyed knowingness. - Jennifer Compton