oh orchid o'clock

Poems that explore our obsession with time, revealing the sensory impacts of our over-clocked lives and exploring how we can be both captured and complicit in systems of measurement.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 104 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2023
Publisher: Omnidawn Publishing

This collection explores the intricate relationship between human beings and time, delving into the sensory experiences and emotional toll of our obsession with measuring and managing time. Through the lens of poetry, Endi Bogue Hartigan examines how we allow our days to become overloaded with tasks, transactions, and obligations, often at the expense of our well-being and inner peace. With an instrumental sensibility, she investigates the nature of collective time, its alarms and brutalities, and the intimate and familial experiences of bodily time. Hartigan questions how we can be both captives and complicit in systems of measurement and encourages us to imagine ways to break free from, create, or become immune to these structures.

Through her poetry, Hartigan exposes the face of the clock, revealing the gears that press against interconnected systems such as economics, capitalism, astronomy, medicine, government, and fantasy. She highlights the ways in which these systems shape our lives and influence our perceptions of time, from the mundane routines of daily life to the grand narratives of history and culture.

In "Oh Orchid Oclock," Hartigan weaves lyrics that wind through histories, creating a sensory experience that evokes the anxiety and exhilaration of being alive in the present moment. The poem explores the ways in which our obsession with time can narrow our perspective and limit our ability to fully engage with the world around us. It reminds us of the importance of slowing down, being present, and appreciating the beauty of the present moment.

Another poem, "The Clock in the Attic," examines the relationship between time and memory. Hartigan explores how memories can become fossilized over time, lost to the passing of years and the erosion of experience. The poem suggests that the only way to preserve our memories is to be mindful of the present moment and to actively engage with the world around us.

Through her poetry, Endi Bogue Hartigan invites us to reconsider our notions of time and to explore the ways in which it shapes our lives and relationships. She challenges us to break free from the constraints of measurement and to embrace the complexity and richness of the human experience. This collection is a testament to the power of poetry to inspire, challenge, and transform our understanding of the world.

In conclusion, this collection of poetry by Endi Bogue Hartigan offers a powerful exploration of the intricate relationship between human beings and time. Through the lens of poetry, Hartigan examines how our obsession with time can lead to stress, anxiety, and disconnection from the world around us. She encourages us to reconsider our notions of time and to embrace the complexity and richness of the human experience. This collection is a testament to the power of poetry to inspire, challenge, and transform our understanding of the world.

Weight: 134g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781632431158