r.h. Sin’s collection of poetry “whiskey words & a shovel II” is an emotional whirlwind of self-love, self-doubt, vulnerability and healing.
Sin, whose real name is Reuben Holmes, has amassed 663,000 followers on Instagram and published five books - soon to be six - with his succinct, emotionally-packed poems. “whiskey words & a shovel II” is part of a trilogy in which he seems to write both to and about the woman he loves.
The first volume in the trilogy was written for and about Sin’s partner and fellow creative Samantha King, according to Sin’s website, which credits King as his “muse and the 'she' the writer speaks of.”
It's a safe bet that the second novel follows the same relationship as the subject struggles with loving herself enough to know how to recognize actual, healthy love when she sees it. The final poem in the book, “thank you, the end.” also provides several context clues that point to King as the book's main subject.
In a March 8 article in the New Yorker, Sin said, “My words are what I would say to my sister, my mother, or the women I want to protect,” and his poetry certainly reflects his words.
When his poems do not speak to women, they speak about how women should be treated. The four-stanza piece “the rules.” follows this vain, and is a refreshing reminder that feminism does (and should) extend past women.
But while “whiskey words & a shovel II” as a whole packs a powerful punch, individually some of the poems tend toward the trite. I often wondered if there had been a concrete organizational structure to the book. Transitions from poems of self-love and encouragement, like “always worthy.,” to ones about the darker end of the emotional spectrum, like “words and actions.,” could sometimes be jarring and kept me from feeling the full effects of the individual poems.
The shortest of his poems are often the ones to fall into the category of the over used: “memories.” was a two-stanza poem that simply read, “be careful who you make your/memories with,” a romanticism that can be found in several variations across the entire literary spectrum.
Sin’s book has its weak points, but as a collection his poetry speaks to a broad range of raw emotion that is relatable and thought-provoking and makes “whiskey words & a shovel II” a book that lends its self to dog-eared pages and a well-worn spine.
