A Review of Walk Like the Bird Flies by Susan Ayres
By Elizabeth Ottenritter, written December 2024
Susan Ayres’ Walk Like the Bird Flies is an entrancing collection of poetry, one that speaks to the physicality of landscapes with complex histories. Each poem serves as an exploration of the versatility of nature, meditating on the nature of humans as well. Ayres is a poet, lawyer, and a translator, whose language is reflective of her many areas of expertise. Poems such as “Rain in the Green Mountains” are a reminder as to why every word matters in such a work.
Listen to me
as one listens to the rain
falling in sheets against lightning
and the dark sky.
Ayres’ brilliant sense of place is prominent in “Most People Die Unevolved,” which considers themes of time and selective memory. Ayres allows the past to speak for itself, and yet her perspective carefully brings new questions to light. It is as though one is watching the scenery change over time, slowly, deliberately, and reminiscent of cultures engrained. “EL DIABLO ON INTERSTATE 10” accomplishes something similar when it comes to imagery. This poem could be a commentary on how we attach significance to certain people and the places they have touched:
I have always loved spotting
dirt devils, usually in the distance,
in an otherwise still landscape,
brief dance of dust
and wind reaching up to the sky.
There is a deep sense of loss as it pertains to nature, and Ayres’ portrayal of the people she has come to know is just as thoughtful. “PORT ARANSAS VIGIL” tells a story of death and the human instinct to make sense of dying in the way we know how. The significance of watching dolphins at the pier, searching for the meaning we hope will follow death is not only moving but devastatingly familiar. It is the marking of a great poet to take specific experiences and help the reader see them outlined within their own life.
A poem, such as, “LJUBLJANA MUSIC FESTIVAL” is concerned with the passing of time, a major theme in this collection that often serves as a through line. Ayres can say so much in so little words, reflective of the human life cycle and how fleeting it is. Ayres admits she is “trying to carry less” when it comes to her physical belongings, alluding to what she is carrying beyond the surface level as well. It is a beautiful sentiment, one that appreciates time as a structure yet wrestles with time’s tendency to run out.
Ayres’ and her forms change throughout Walk Like the Bird Flies, with some poems reminiscent of traditional stanzas and others appearing as prose. This can be seen in “FOREIGN CITIES 1,” “FOREIGN CITIES 2,” “FOREIGN CITIES 3,” and “FOREIGN CITIES 4,” which offer revelations on traveling and its particulars. Her words are an account, painting Ayres as less of a tourist and more of a witness. She opens up a broader discussion of history and ethics, detailing the routines of fellow visitors.
You’re as empty as the waves that will lull you to sleep.
The poem “TROUVELOT’S CRATER,” a five-part end to this collection, is an epic culmination of history, science, and nature, and how they often contradict each other. The human impact on nature, waging war on something as small as the gypsy moth, is an immediate takeaway. Ayres aims to say something deeper about interconnectedness, tying hard facts into the lyrical almost effortlessly.
Walk Like the Bird Flies is a compelling read, and an important one. Ayres’ love of language, her wit, and perpetual interest in the surrounding world can be seen in every line. Her experiences translate well to the page, turning the reader toward landscapes both familiar and unfamiliar, asking them to be attentive to both the big and the small.
Elizabeth Ottenritter (she/her) is a senior at Loyola University Maryland, where she studies writing. She is passionate about reading, crafting poetry, contributing to Loyola’s literary art magazine, Corridors, and traveling worldwide. Upon graduation, Elizabeth hopes to continue her learning and love of language.
*****
Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we BLAZE a path for women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook or Instagram, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.