Time Cleaves Itself
Jeda Pearl
Book of the month: June 2024
Reviewed by Etzali Hernández
Saltwater devours ancestral bones
washes gristle pon Atlantic shores
dip toe in shards of lily-white sand
nae longer chained to this wasteland
Excerpt from ‘Inheritance Reverb’
Jeda Pearl's Time Cleaves Itself delves into multifaceted experiences of belonging, race, illness, disability, and womanhood. Through her poetry, Pearl navigates the intricate intersection of these identities, shedding light on themes of memory, grief, and the complexities of claiming space within diverse landscapes and bodyscapes. Her unique perspective, shaped by her journey, is a captivating invitation to explore these themes deeply, evoking reflection and empathy.
The collection is divided into three parts: Skouth, which explores Pearl’s experiences growing up as a woman of colour in Scotland while creating space for herself; Acts of Observation, where she examines space in both the landscape and the body using speculative and scientific terms; and Time Cleaves Itself, which deals with grief, loss, and chronic illness.
An introductory poem separate from the three parts, ‘Selkie’, delves into the mythology of a creature that can shed its skin and transform into a human. The poem beautifully portrays a woman’s determination to be acknowledged and heard for her true essence rather than conforming to societal or worldly expectations: a ‘wolf made sylph’.
Jeda Pearl's poetry is profound and demands attention. It encourages introspection on identity, disability, race, and colonialism. It draws inspiration from nature and science, sparking curiosity and tenderness while challenging our perceptions. With lines like ‘droplet prism starlight pon eyelash’ and ‘I wonder, still, as I go to sleep who gets the trees?’ to ‘You are lush: the celestial sea at night. You are dark matter’, Pearl has woven a journey through a mist of imagery that evokes and stirs deep emotions, fostering a solid and intimate connection with the reader and making us feel a part of her poetic world.
Selecting standout poems from such a varied and rich collection proved challenging. Some favourites include ‘River Mumma,’ ‘Fibonacci's Poem for the James Webb Space Telescope,’ ‘Sublime Bodies Reveal Themselves,’ and ‘Beloved Black,’ each of which feature immersive journeys that resonate deeply with me and highlight Pearl’s talent for conveying intense emotions through lavish descriptions.
Pearl also has a poignant way of talking about disability and being disabled. She writes, ‘My disabled body holds sacred geometries’, a testament to the holiness we have inside as disabled people. Her words illuminate the sanctity of a disabled person, bringing us closer, grounded, and at times in (un)comfortable communion with our body in a way that non-disabled people cannot experience.
Time Cleaves Itself is a lyrical, visceral, and vivid collection recommended for readers who appreciate timeless, rich, and rhythmic poetry. Unsurprisingly, Jeda Pearl's unique voice and perspective are indispensable in the contemporary poetry landscape of Scotland and the UK.
Time Cleaves Itself will be published by Peepal Tree Press. Preorder here.
Etzali Hernández is a QPOC latinx writer, DJ, and coder based in Glasgow.