Reviewed on 10/12/2025
★★★★★
“Karma Affirmation Cistern” reflects on the trauma, the violence, the pain of humanity. Instead of a soothing anthem, the poem frames itself as an anti-affirmation. Calvocoressi confronts the imperfection of life, failure, childhood fears, “the meatloaf you hid,” the urge to steal. She is saying to us that perhaps everything is not always okay. Some days you are messy, ugly, and scared. The speaker compares “the amount of doughnut shops” with “roadkill.” Both joy and tragedy are integral parts of our lives. This does not suggest a pessimistic view, but a brave acknowledgement of human hardships. At the end of the day, Calvocoressi encourages, you gotta “go toward the horror.”
Stylistically, Calvocoressi employs colloquial language (“Maybe if you know your animal./ I mean really know your animal.”) that gives the poem the same kind of realness. She says, “No need to make it beautiful/ for some future reader.” No need to fantasize about a dream reality. No need to cover up our sorrows. You just need to accept and be. The poem ends with a powerful calling: “You are the resonator. Just breathe.” Yes, even when “there’s nothing you can do about it,” rawness has its own greatness. Reflecting all life’s setbacks and ugliness, we shine as the brightest winter stars.
Caden's Nest 
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