Great Regulars: Notice that the bay leaf is broken,

and how many hard items follow: the pit of the olive, the various shells (like the wavy-shelled dogwinkle, which feeds on mussels). Even the wishbone is "unwished on," suggesting someone too blighted to hope. Maybe [Sharon] Olds is mocking critics who've complained that she neglects language in favor of narrative clarity and psychological insight, but this poem proves for me her linguistic and metaphorical genius.

from Mary Karr: The Washington Post: Poet's Choice

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