In so many ways, life is like the ocean: it’s powerful, uncontrollable, and always changing, and its tides are like the ups and downs of life. The ocean can also be peaceful, even innocent, in its pristine beauty on a clear sunny day or a moonlit night. It is relaxing and nerve-racking, beautiful to the point of sublime. Anastasia Lindsey’s poems in her recent book, OCEAN, reflect all these parallels between life and the ocean. Her poems express sorrow to the point of despair and excruciating heartbreak. Yet, her poems also lead the reader away from the pain, restoring their sense of well-being and healing the ache as deep as the ocean: “painting watercolor by the sea/ bleeding onto the paper/ sea salt wounds from paper cuts/ lonely waves, quiet.” The words reflect calm and beauty in a large expanse of water that could almost instantly change into something completely different, even volatile and destructive.

Anastasia Lindsey’s book, OCEAN, is a collection of free and narrative verse poetry. Many of the poems could even be classified as epistolary in their storytelling presentation. There is hope and despair in these Zen-like simple poems, which are almost minimalist. The main theme, of course, is the ocean and what lies beneath it. The poet divides the collection of poems with what is defined as lighthouse moments, an interruption to the flow of poetic thoughts as the poet allows the reader to relax and reflect on what they’ve just read, how it impacts their lives, and what sorrows and secrets it’s conjured up. To say this collection is "deep" is like comparing the poet’s life to the intense depth of the ocean – very prophetic and sometimes complicated. This book requires multiple readings to appreciate the poet’s intent fully.

Just like each wave breaks and recedes into the large and seemingly endless sea, O C E A N by Anastasia Lindsey is a collection of poems that have beginnings and an end and yet seem to flow into one another. Touching on matters of love, loss, hurt, and healing, O C E A N seeks to allow you to delve into the deepest recesses of your mind and open up your heart. Allow the words to flow over you, and embrace the emotions that surface with this collection.

To say O C E A N by Anastasia Lindsey stunned me on the first page is an understatement. This book is the very definition of raw and emotional, which you can tell from the first poem you encounter. Sometimes it didn't seem easy to tell where one poem started and another ended, whereas others had distinct and clear boundaries. Regardless, the poems in this book brought out so much emotion in me, and it truly leaves you feeling a bit vulnerable and open by the end. Although it can be uncomfortable for some readers, this is such a wonderful thing for me because being able to evoke such an emotional response from a reader sets an author apart. Another unique aspect of this book was the lighthouse stops in between. These page markers reminded the reader to take a break, breathe, and center themselves before delving back into the book. I loved that Lindsey did this and appreciated the thoughtfulness behind the concept. Overall, this was a beautiful and emotional book that I know I’ll find myself returning to occasionally.