Headwinds

A clever-and at times, plainly ridiculous-poetry collection exploring personal and societal themes of mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from poet Chris Stubenrauch.

Often evoking the desolate imagery characteristic of the American Midwest and Great Plains, Stubenrauch taps deep into his inner humor to recall, sometimes fantastically, personal experiences and tell stories from his young adulthood. At times outlandish and other times more solemn, Stubenrauch admits to playing games in the title poem Headwinds: "Sometimes I lack restraint / and sometimes I make it up as I go / and sometimes I hold two bony fingers / flush red on the joystick."

While games-ranging from in the casino to out in the backyard-are employed as an essential thematic element which is reintroduced time and time again, Stubenrauch also broadly visits other topics, recounting psychiatry sessions and even contemplating being locked in a grocery store overnight in an amusing way: "I suppose I could open a box of saltines / and pitch myself a tent using the finest floor model / I will crawl using only my wrists / like all great army heroes do / I will keep this appointment with myself."

Through the use of his sprawling imagination, vivid descriptions, dramatic endings, and teasing lyricism, Stubenrauch often makes it hard to tell what experiences are real and what are made up-but it is abundantly clear that the blurry lines are purposeful, helping to underscore and chronicle the topic of mental health in an insightful way.