Disturbed by Julie Shiel, Perfect for Halloween and beyond

Teri Santitoro created some artisticly creepy bloody hands for the cover of Disturbed by Julie Shiel, a chapbook of poems published by Sam's Dot Publishing. This collection is truly disturbing, very emotional and paints many sketches of a people in mental in misery. The best, I think, is Rag Doll. The poem ends with words that match the illustration "as her scattered mind wanders, in this soft walled doll house, of the abandoned forlorn." It ties in to the images throughout of being left alone without control. Oubliette places you in a mad house where a patient "cuts strange collages/from paper dolls", "smears excrement", "mumbles surreal prophecies" and paints a perfect picture of mental problems. Modern Ophelia takes the reader to where "a woman wanders the median strip" and then eventually we "wrap white restraints around her wasted arms." It's not necessarily the type of poetry meant for the reader to enjoy, but it does share an interesting perspective, insight into pain and anguish for those who'd like to share and provides a thematic collection.