Poetry review – UNDER THE LIPPY
Jennifer Johnson finds Angelena Demaria’s poetry to be both important and memorable
Under the Lippy
Angelena Demaria
Indigo Dreams Publishing
ISBN 978-1-912876-99-0
Under the Lippy is an impressive debut collection of 30 short poems by Angelena Demaria, a professional storyteller and hypnotherapist as well as a prizewinning poet. The poems in this collection are quite varied but are linked by strong, if sometimes imperfect female characters. The poetry can be enjoyed simply for its humour, interesting language and striking connections; but those with knowledge of biblical tales, recent scientific knowledge and pagan belief systems will discover further enriching layers of meaning.
The collection begins with a poem “A Lick of Paint” about one of the special qualities of women. It begins authoritatively.
Most women are artists
even those who’ve never
owned Monet
on a biscuit box.
Most women create the most beautiful version of themselves using make-up. They won’t own a Monet but can, in a sense, own one in the form of reproductions on a ‘biscuit box’. The link between ‘Monet’ and ‘biscuit box’ is memorably original. Even those women who don’t come across reproductions of fine art learn to be artists through their use of make-up.
A ‘picture’ also appears in the poem “The woman who had bees in her eyes” which is based on a 2019 report of a Taiwanese woman found to have sweat bees feeding on her tears while visiting a grave. There is some clever use of language in this poem which begins
Well, she was a well for thirsty bees,
like Isaac’s wife – a pitcher bearer,
a picture bearer of oasis …
In these lines Demaria uses ‘well’ in two senses, the first as an exclamation and the second as a source of water. She also uses the homophones ‘pitcher’ and ‘picture’. In Genesis, Rebekah, who becomes Isaac’s wife, is a beautiful young woman pitcher bearer. Both the Taiwanese woman and Rebekah are women who provide water which is both literally and spiritually refreshing.
Many of the poems make use of a less conventional spiritual figure, Goddess. Feminists see the creative force as a feminine one as only women can give birth. “Goddess the Creator” is an interesting poem which makes use of recent scientific theories along with esoteric knowledge and an imaginative use of the everyday. This creator has common human female wishes that are often considered imperfect.
When Goddess made the All
she got distracted
stringing the stars in patterns
that would look sparkly
It is humorously irreverent to suggest that constellations so long regarded as important are simply put there to ‘look sparkly’. Goddess also curses herself for forgetting her handbag.
Cursing, she Sellotaped it
in eleven layers
of parallel universes
These eleven ‘parallel universes’ come from a theory known as M-theory which combines 5 string theories. A reader does not need to know this to appreciate the fun of using a handbag in the context of what is often-considered male science.
The poem “Games Theory” has a conversation between the male Yahweh god and Goddess. In this exchange, Goddess responds to Yahweh who has told her that His believers were ‘put on Earth by me to keep/their meddling hands busy’ by saying irreverently
‘But you fucked off.’
‘Left them to destroy it with their
ignorance and greed. Don’t you old gods
get any management training?’
“God’s Special Gang” is a poem that compares the violence of the male God’s gang with ‘Goddess’s gang’ who ‘are lounging on the clouds, drinking honeyed/wine’.
In “Goddess Goes to Brighton” Goddess shows herself to be out of tune with some modern pagan celebrations such as one celebrating the erection of a blue plaque to ‘Doreen Valiente, Queen of witches’, a C20 English Wiccan. After complaining that ‘All witches want is cosy magic circles’ Goddess says she prefers the ones who are ‘in it for the powers not the flowers’ and that what the poor need are ‘Arms not alms’. The poem ends with the delightfully imperfect Goddess who seems to be an everywoman figure until the final line where she can do a superhuman thing, flying ‘into the sun’.
Bored, Goddess finds the Pier, eats doughnuts
tangles candyfloss and plays the slot machines
until she’s cleaned them out.
Then flies into the sun, because she can.
The collection also has several poems about human rather than superhuman experience such as “The Woman’s Room at Vestry House Museum” and “Costa Poets”.
I hope these few extracts will show why I highly recommend Under the Lippy. It is an imaginative and original collection with a great deal of humour, and it is, most importantly, a memorable one.
Mar 5 2026
London Grip Poetry Review – Angelena Demaria
Poetry review – UNDER THE LIPPY
Jennifer Johnson finds Angelena Demaria’s poetry to be both important and memorable
Under the Lippy
Angelena Demaria
Indigo Dreams Publishing
ISBN 978-1-912876-99-0
Under the Lippy is an impressive debut collection of 30 short poems by Angelena Demaria, a professional storyteller and hypnotherapist as well as a prizewinning poet. The poems in this collection are quite varied but are linked by strong, if sometimes imperfect female characters. The poetry can be enjoyed simply for its humour, interesting language and striking connections; but those with knowledge of biblical tales, recent scientific knowledge and pagan belief systems will discover further enriching layers of meaning.
The collection begins with a poem “A Lick of Paint” about one of the special qualities of women. It begins authoritatively.
Most women are artists
even those who’ve never
owned Monet
on a biscuit box.
Most women create the most beautiful version of themselves using make-up. They won’t own a Monet but can, in a sense, own one in the form of reproductions on a ‘biscuit box’. The link between ‘Monet’ and ‘biscuit box’ is memorably original. Even those women who don’t come across reproductions of fine art learn to be artists through their use of make-up.
A ‘picture’ also appears in the poem “The woman who had bees in her eyes” which is based on a 2019 report of a Taiwanese woman found to have sweat bees feeding on her tears while visiting a grave. There is some clever use of language in this poem which begins
Well, she was a well for thirsty bees,
like Isaac’s wife – a pitcher bearer,
a picture bearer of oasis …
In these lines Demaria uses ‘well’ in two senses, the first as an exclamation and the second as a source of water. She also uses the homophones ‘pitcher’ and ‘picture’. In Genesis, Rebekah, who becomes Isaac’s wife, is a beautiful young woman pitcher bearer. Both the Taiwanese woman and Rebekah are women who provide water which is both literally and spiritually refreshing.
Many of the poems make use of a less conventional spiritual figure, Goddess. Feminists see the creative force as a feminine one as only women can give birth. “Goddess the Creator” is an interesting poem which makes use of recent scientific theories along with esoteric knowledge and an imaginative use of the everyday. This creator has common human female wishes that are often considered imperfect.
When Goddess made the All
she got distracted
stringing the stars in patterns
that would look sparkly
It is humorously irreverent to suggest that constellations so long regarded as important are simply put there to ‘look sparkly’. Goddess also curses herself for forgetting her handbag.
Cursing, she Sellotaped it
in eleven layers
of parallel universes
These eleven ‘parallel universes’ come from a theory known as M-theory which combines 5 string theories. A reader does not need to know this to appreciate the fun of using a handbag in the context of what is often-considered male science.
The poem “Games Theory” has a conversation between the male Yahweh god and Goddess. In this exchange, Goddess responds to Yahweh who has told her that His believers were ‘put on Earth by me to keep/their meddling hands busy’ by saying irreverently
‘But you fucked off.’
‘Left them to destroy it with their
ignorance and greed. Don’t you old gods
get any management training?’
“God’s Special Gang” is a poem that compares the violence of the male God’s gang with ‘Goddess’s gang’ who ‘are lounging on the clouds, drinking honeyed/wine’.
In “Goddess Goes to Brighton” Goddess shows herself to be out of tune with some modern pagan celebrations such as one celebrating the erection of a blue plaque to ‘Doreen Valiente, Queen of witches’, a C20 English Wiccan. After complaining that ‘All witches want is cosy magic circles’ Goddess says she prefers the ones who are ‘in it for the powers not the flowers’ and that what the poor need are ‘Arms not alms’. The poem ends with the delightfully imperfect Goddess who seems to be an everywoman figure until the final line where she can do a superhuman thing, flying ‘into the sun’.
Bored, Goddess finds the Pier, eats doughnuts
tangles candyfloss and plays the slot machines
until she’s cleaned them out.
Then flies into the sun, because she can.
The collection also has several poems about human rather than superhuman experience such as “The Woman’s Room at Vestry House Museum” and “Costa Poets”.
I hope these few extracts will show why I highly recommend Under the Lippy. It is an imaginative and original collection with a great deal of humour, and it is, most importantly, a memorable one.