Be Afraid. Beaveree Eh Frayed

Be Afraid. Beaveree Eh Frayed once again brings Rickthepoetwarrior’s biting wit and slashing comments to confront major issues. Witty, and at times bordering on nonsensical, the poems in the book give commentary on a wide variety of Canadian issues from Trudeau’s political failures, to the niqab ban, to the horrible treatment of First Nations people and the environment. The author pulls absolutely no punches in his eviscerating commentary on injustices and idiosyncrasies in Canadian society and government. The bilingual exchanges in the book add a unique new dimension to it that is intriguing and offers numerous double-entendres and puns that are enhanced by the French language. Additionally, the author sneaks “eh” into his work as often as possible which gives the reader another play on words that also doubles as humor to lighten the mood despite the heavy content. I enjoyed the duality of the book as the author criticizes the issues of his country but still loves it, tempering his sarcasm. The terminology used in the book can be offensive to some, but the words are clearly not meant to be harmful. Overall, it is a great anthology of sarcastic poems that shed light on Canadian society and issues.