A poem near the midpoint of Robert Fillman’s House Bird reads, “He told himself to hold on / to this feeling, the fall term / not quite done. He’d have it then—” (“All day long there’d been papers”). The speaker retreats from his office and soaks in the sounds of birds, moving water, and the crunch of leaves as a long semester closes, and he finds some small comfort in nature for the final push of grading and administrative work. This sentiment of capturing feelings and reserving them for times of need permeates the rest of the collection as Fillman focuses his attention on short experiences. Some moments highlight people, such as a weathered father figure who explodes with anger (“A Creation Story”), and others linger on places—family homes in childhood (“Talking Over a Classic Rock FM Station”), starter homes in early adulthood (“Blessing”), and the natural world (“He Plants Seeds”). “A Creation Story” takes place over seconds as the speaker’s father stomps a video game cartridge, highlighting his violent tendencies, and “Talking Over a Class Rock FM Station” spans a single evening as the speaker and his drunk uncle catch up on life. Every poem carefully examines the resonance of these moments in writing that evokes the strong emotions of love, longing, and trauma without the need for overwrought language. Regardless of your experience or interest in the specific memories presented, it’s difficult to ignore the emotional draw of each poem. You will likely find yourself shifting between hopeful visions of the future as pregnancies are revealed and marital love is openly expressed, and unsettling images of familial abuse and loss of innocence. The world Fillman creates in House Bird is undeniably personal, but the milestones of life that come from it are sure to be familiar and interesting to everyone.
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