Lavender Oil, by Isa Pineda

Poetry, chapbook, 24 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Isa Pineda’s debut poetry chapbook, Lavender Oil, is an emotionally charged collection of short poems documenting one traumatic relationship between a white mother and a mixed daughter.

Lavender Oil explores the intricacies of intergenerational trauma in concentrated, bite-sized pieces following the 5-7-5 syllable structure of haiku. Laced with a myriad of invitations for interpretations and heavy with symbolism, the reader is invited to read and reread between the carefully crafted lines.

Lavender Oil bears the weight of the expectations of young girls with mothers that can never be pleased, serving to shed light on those shadows that linger into adulthood. It touches on femininity, race, and body image, creating a space for readers to confront their own wounds.

Despite their brevity, the poems of Lavender Oil beg self-reflection and contemplation. Lavender Oil thoughtfully unfurls complex emotions and tenderly offers solidarity with other victims of childhood trauma through language in its most distilled form.

Isa Pineda (they/them) is an emerging Filipino-American poet and writer with work found in Discretionary Love, Gastropoda Lit. Magazine, Alien Buddha Press, JADEN Magazine, Rinnan Lit., and more. They’re also an editor and writer for Kapwa Magazine’s News & Features department, working with pieces on Filipino issues and culture. You can find more of their work on Instagram (@isanpineda), Twitter (@isanpineda), or their personal blog (isanpineda.com).