No Water for Witches

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With its biblical references, cynical spirit and activist tone, Isabelle-Luca Borg's debut book, No Water For Witches, promises to be an intriguing and thought-provoking read. In this collection of poems written between 2014 and 2021, Borg retains her signature undertone of protest, frustration and derision. Auto-Biographically, she protests against blatant injustices and mocks the apathy of those who don't speak up and simply stand on the sidelines waiting for others to do something. This thread leads effortlessly to her musings about existentialism and her identity: who she is and how she is perceived. 'I Died' is one such protest song. It evokes a sense of reclamation of power and a show of force quite like an octopus crowning herself the Queen Mother of the Seas and putting on a peacocking display of grandeur. It is therefore almost disturbing how the next two poems, 'ASIS' and 'Gold' feel dejected and convey such an intense feeling of hopelessness and finality. Still, it is evident that Borg is not one to surrender, shut up and stay down and she reclaims her sense of self and purpose with the compelling poem, 'I Get It'. In exploring her relationships, Borg finishes off strong with a string of melancholic writings laying bare her vulnerabilities in love, heartbreak, loss and hope. Her final poems in this collection, 'Water' and 'One Last Time' centre around her loss and love of her grandparents and the belief that one day we will all meet again.