Mermaids of Albuquerque

In Mermaids of Albuquerque, Cohen leaps off a trope of geological time, a past sea in the basin of Albuquerque, and finds there a fresh trough of poetry. These poems come to us flush with magic, with an imagined past, and a love for the city of her origin.

Reading Mermaids of Albuquerque feels like stumbling upon a Chachalaca three hundred miles north of its usual range-a magical and unexpected treat. Cohen's world, though familiar, is seen through a lens that makes everything just a little different, odder, brighter, bolder, and further afield, allowing us to see the world with marveling eyes.

In Mermaids of Albuquerque, Cohen's poetry celebrates the ordinary, a testament to her joy in the natural and human landscapes of New Mexico. Her joyful and richly grounded poems capture the essence of birds, flowers, and the 'Land of Enchantment,' turning them into 'diamonds of shiny, invincible sand.'

Through nuanced figurative turns, Cohen transforms her connection to the natural world into profound observations about the complexity of human nature. Morning glories become "beautiful love letters," leading the poet to meditate on loss and resilience, highlighting how nature continues its beauty despite human violence. Yet, her poetry's subtext of joy transcends any hint of bleakness. In every poem, we sense Cohen's genuine joy for nature and wildlife-the Chachalaca's "raucous" song, dancing honey bees, the Albuquerque desert, and mourning doves. These elements congregate in her pages to remind us that "the world is just dying to do better than yesterday."

Elizabeth Cohen's Mermaids of Albuquerque invites you to build an altar to all things ending and beginning again. Read these poems and experience a journey where joy and profound observation intertwine beautifully.