Elliott is a poetry chapbook that illustrates the delicate balance between beauty and pain in caring for a child with special needs. Brian Muriel encapsulates a caregiver's profound fear and love for his son. In the poem "his brother," Muriel delves into the relationship between two siblings. Initially, the children appear strikingly similar, but as they grow, their "mechanical" differences become starkly apparent, shattering the idyllic vision of their shared fairy tale and revealing a tragic reality. The oldest brother watches as his youngest lives the life any parent would wish for their child as their clock remains stuck between the seconds their brother's clock passed years ago. Muriel's Elliott coaxes readers along an unflinching journey through parenthood, exposing the raw guilt accompanying the yearning for a "normal" child, both a dream and a nightmare. Muriel is unforgiving in his poetry, his words racing toward the period at the end of the chapbook, leaving readers breathless and contemplative. Brian Muriel brings a formidable view on caregiving and continues the long-needed conversation.
