Puebla by Brent Ameneyro Review by Mariam Ahmed
Puebla by Brent Ameneyro
Review by Mariam Ahmed
Publisher: Ghost City Press
Publication Date: August 25, 2023
Number of pages: 14
A Poet Distilled: Book Review of Brent Ameneyro’s Puebla
Gwendolyn Brooks once expressed that “poetry is life distilled.” This rings true for poet Brent Ameneyro’s new work, Puebla, published by Ghost City Press in their 2023 Summer Micro-Chapbook Series. Puebla is an immersive — and sometimes interactive — narrative of Mexico’s cultural landscape. The book’s structure creates a collage of vivid snapshots that capture two years in the life of a young protagonist. As the speaker embarks upon adventure, travel, and even danger, he wades through personal experiences combined with tumultuous events in Mexico from 1993-1995. Major events, such as the assassination of Cardinal Posadas Ocampo, the Chiapas uprising, and the Mexican peso crisis, provide a backdrop for the worldview perceived by the young speaker. In Puebla, Ameneyro’s storytelling immerses readers in an undiluted blend of poignant observations from a child’s perspective as he navigates life in early 90s Mexico.
While the reader swims through the language in Puebla, a connection begins to emerge between identity, belonging, and the impact of external events on internal narrative. “The Search” encapsulates the mood of innocence and fear, from a child seeking solace in a flower or church to the powerful depiction of volcanoes. This imagery illustrates the emotional turbulence faced during those years:
…………..I watch two volcanoes at sunset
…………..on the left a woman sleeps
…………..or dies of grief
In these lines, the speaker’s quest for meaning and connection in a changing world, blends with personal reflections. The use of volcanoes, a sleeping woman, and a warrior in love create timeless imagery, echoing the depth of human experience. “The Search” provides a nexus between the speaker’s quest for meaning and the reader’s initial dive into the world of Puebla.
As the collection progresses, the audience follows a stream of consciousness description of scenes that make an impression upon the speaker’s memory. “Mom Is from Wisconsin Dad Is from Mexico and I Sing” journeys across borders, both physical and figurative. The minivan becomes a metaphorical vehicle for cultural and geographical clash, transitioning from the familiar to the unknown. Specific details, like the smell hitting the protagonist upon arrival, evoke a profound sense of displacement and longing. The abrupt transition — from paved roads to dirt paths — mirrors the shifting landscapes of memory, mirage, and reality. Each image engages the senses, from the smell of the water to the taste of tacos, allowing the reader to experience the same awareness and discovery as the speaker. Phrases like, “I wanted to pray but hundreds of molted exoskeletons poured out of my mouth” suffuse the reader’s imagination.
Another strength in this collection is how it transforms materials and personal objects into representations of the speaker’s perspective. This happens in “Ulysses in Puebla,” which excavates the complexities of childhood rivalry. The poem incorporates play in language and alliteration that blends the abstract concept of decision-making with the specificity of familiar items: “Churros or a chicharron. Choices.” The speaker uses the metaphor of a soccer game to explore the challenges of assimilation and the clash of cultures. Another distinct image — the cracked tooth — becomes a symbol of vulnerability:
…………..The new kid kicked the ball
…………..and the boy from California
…………..spun around to block it. Fell on his face.
…………..Cracked his tooth.
The back-and-forth of these lines represent conflict and competition. As the narrative in this collection continues, pieces of the city come together to formulate a mosaic of the speaker’s customized perception of place and time.
“Puebla,” the titular poem, paints a nostalgic picture of the city, with “houses like parakeets” and familiar scenes like an arcade and red-light encounters. This piece highlights the essence of everyday life, emphasizing the cultural richness of Puebla. These lines, in their observational tone, set the pace for the scene:
…………..Boys washing windshields,
…………..their sisters selling bracelets at the red light.
…………..Robbed by the police.
…………..Kissed by someone else’s mother.
The mention of police encounters, stolen moments, and waiting for water delivery paints a picture of the daily struggles and joys experienced by the community. Considering the title, “Tectonics” represents the inverse of “Puebla.” The form and content of this poem depict the impact of American influence on local businesses and landscapes, using pan dulce and fast-food restaurants as symbols of change. “Tectonics” carefully and deliberately captures the transformation of a city overshadowed by industrialization. One image stands out among the shifting lines: “the whole city disappeared the dirt roads.” The scene of disappearing dirt roads and snow-capped volcanoes adds a layer of metaphorical depth to the narrative.
A personal favorite is “Rules of the Game,” which connects the unaccompanied migrant children crisis to childhood games. The depictions in this poem shed light on the harsh realities faced by young individuals along the southern border. The simplicity of the game results in a poignant commentary about migration. While the piece seems short at first glance, it is offset by this alarming statistic:
The number of unaccompanied migrant children detained along the southern border has tripled in the last two weeks to more than 3,250
— NY Times, March 11, 2021
With the inclusion of this information, the poem comments upon the complexities of immigration policies and their influence on the life trajectory of children. The “rules” reflect the blurred boundaries and lack of referees in “the game.” Similarly, another poem, “The Return,” embraces the concept that two things can be true at once. This piece conveys the imperfections of Cemitas Las Poblanitas, the guitarist’s lament, and the chaotic charm of the city. By illustrating the bittersweet experience of revisiting one’s roots, “The Return” describes the curious sensory triggers of coming back to a once familiar location. This poem provides a window into the everyday life and cultural nuances that the speaker observes in an attempt “to prove we were, in fact, here.”
The final poem, “Choose Your Own Adventure,” engages readers with interactive stanzas, allowing them to pick how to move through the poem. The lines explore the challenges and uncertainties of growing up between two worlds. In fact, the collection as a whole could be an exercise in choosing one’s own adventure. Every stanza offers an alternative path, paving the way for a dynamic and participatory reading experience. If the chapbook is read in its linear form, Puebla tracks a timeline of a chaotic yet memorable period during a child’s formative years. In this manner, the collection could be a bookmark for a distilled moment in time. Other readers may pick a poem based on its thoughtful title as a starting point, moving through the collection like an explorer. The audience absorbs the speaker’s vision and voice as the poems create a sense of belonging in unfamiliar spaces. Ameneyro’s mini-chapbook, Puebla, provides placement for the unplaced at the intersection of memory and identity.
Brent Ameneyro is the author of the collection A Face Out of Clay (The Center for Literary Publishing, 2024) and the chapbook Puebla (Ghost City Press, 2023). His poetry has been published in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Iowa Review, Ninth Letter, The Journal, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Azahares, Hispanic Culture Review, and elsewhere.
Mariam Ahmed is a poet, author, and educator living in San Diego, CA. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from San Diego State University. Mariam’s debut novella, Free Art, was released in December 2023. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Maintenant, Folly Journal, Flint Hills Review, Panorama, The Offending Adam, and many other publications, both online and in print. When Mariam is not writing or teaching, she enjoys meditating at the beach.
21 February 2024
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