Matt P. J. Schellenberg’s MY PLANET OF AFTERMATH is a reflective and emotionally charged poetry collection that navigates grief, identity, and the slow process of rebuilding oneself after hardship. Rather than presenting a traditional narrative arc, the book unfolds as a constellation of short poetic reflections—each capturing a moment of reckoning, clarity, or quiet resilience.
The author’s voice is direct yet evocative, frequently blending cosmic imagery with deeply personal introspection. In the titular poem, Schellenberg frames emotional trauma through a striking celestial metaphor: “We are blue stars in our last moments / before turning supernova.” This moment encapsulates the book’s central idea: intense pressure and pain may precede transformation, rather than destruction.
Many poems resonate through their raw honesty about mental health and self-doubt. In “I Almost Couldn’t Be Here,” the speaker reflects on survival and personal growth with disarming vulnerability: “for the road to get here’s been a war, / and I was a battlefield.” Lines like these deliver the collection’s most powerful moments, revealing a writer unafraid to confront darkness while still seeking hope. Schellenberg’s poetry also finds meaning in the cosmic scale of existence. One poem observes that, compared to the vast universe, humans are merely “fireflies […] a bleep on the radar screen of life.” Such reflections lend the collection a philosophical dimension, positioning individual suffering within a broader, almost astronomical perspective.
At times, the brevity of certain pieces can leave readers wanting a deeper exploration of the ideas introduced. Some poems feel more like fleeting thoughts than fully developed meditations. Yet, even in these shorter entries, Schellenberg demonstrates a knack for memorable phrasing and imagery.
Where MY PLANET OF AFTERMATH succeeds most is in its emotional authenticity. The poems feel less like polished declarations and more like fragments of a personal journal written during moments of clarity or vulnerability. This immediacy gives the collection a sense of intimacy that readers who appreciate introspective poetry will likely find compelling. Ultimately, Schellenberg crafts a work that acknowledges life’s scars while refusing to surrender to them. The result is a thoughtful, often affecting collection that invites readers to confront their own aftermaths—and perhaps discover resilience in the process.
In MY PLANET OF AFTERMATH, Matt P.J. Schellenberg delivers an introspective poetry collection marked by striking imagery and moments of genuine emotional impact.
~ Megan Parker for IndieReader