In just a generation, we humans have abruptly changed the rules on our dogs. With urbanization increasing and space at a premium, the wild, abandoned places where children and dogs used to roam have disappeared from many American communities. Dogs have gone from working all day and sleeping outside to relaxing on the couch and sleeping in our beds. They are more a part of our families than ever—which means they share our indoor, sedentary lifestyle. Americans once wanted a dog that barked at every noise, but modern life best suits a pet that will settle nicely under the desk during remote work, politely greet guests, make friends with cats, and play nice (but not hump) in the dog park.
Some might argue that marketing a substance as inert as water with a skull logo worthy of Post Malone’s neck is an exercise in commodifying irony. But I disagree. As it turns out, the water-slinging company’s rock ’n’ roll vibes are right at home in the untold—and surprisingly punk—history of canned water.
The setup for “Blood Test” is a careful-what-you-wish-for answer to that question. During a doctor’s visit, Brock is invited to take a blood test by a firm called Generomics Associates that “predicts behavior, tells you what you’re going to do before you do it.” Thanks to advanced medical technology and AI, we can now work predictive wonders for society. Great! Less great: The test informs Brock that he’s almost certain to commit a heinous crime.
A lot of criticisms of contemporary American life spill out of this straightforward, almost folkloric setup. It takes on scammy pseudoscience (think Theranos and its own false promises for blood tests). Gun culture. Legal mumbo-jumbo. Church culture. Protestant predestination. Cults. Manifest Destiny. The algorithm. Masculinity.
We humans are collectors. We collect the animate and inanimate until the mysteries of nature soak through and become, when we’ve forgotten we live in a compiled world, our natural shells.
Above all, the poems in Brutal Companion make beauty out of the cruel world we were all born into. This is the kind of poetry collection that heals.