Slaying Dragons with Clorox and Holy Water: poetry in English and Spanish

Marie Anzalone’s 7th stand-alone book of poetry, “Slaying Dragons with Clorox and Holy Water” details small and large intimacies of life and death from inside the COVID pandemic, which she has been riding out while living alone in Central America. She writes about how the days stretch out endlessly and hours blend; about xenophobia; about learning to trust her passion; about the massive toll of loved ones dying and job losses compounding an already tough place. She places herself at the mercy of the natural world and brings the natural world to her doorstep. She bakes bread and tries to hold onto her version of faith. She writes so that others will feel connected to something a little larger and deeper in this world. She writes to help others find their words and voices- to grieve, pray for loved ones who are ill, stand up to bullies, and put some magic into every day, even if all you are doing is planting a sunflower seed. The book is written in both English and Spanish, with most works appearing in both languages.