“In Emergency Exits, every word is an invitation to sink deeper into the mystery and marvels of life. In our complex world, Shannon Gabriel is profoundly good at noticing what is important. With reverence and clarity, Gabriel’s words are a delight for the senses as she explores all phases of life. Each poem is lush with fruit and herbs, lingering memories, and the ache of existence. Deliberate and affecting, these poems do not simply exist, but breathe and bloom around the reader. Resonant, intelligent, and always emotionally grounded, this collection is a gift for anyone looking to connect with the quiet joys of everyday beauty and the small moments that shape us.”

“Within the poems of Emergency Exits, we have in our hands a way out—often metaphorical, occasionally literal—of the tangled mess we are in, as the world fades faster than the summer sun, plunging us into darkness sooner than we could’ve ever expected. Gabriel’s imagery soars off the page, and emotionally, we are held in rapture as we discover how to keep existing, keep growing, how to find and make a home, and how our bodies can ‘anchor you to this Earth, at least for one hour longer, just one hour longer.’ The biggest compliment I can pay this astonishing collection is this: I wish I was publishing it!”

“An amazingly well-organized chapbook that unabashedly reshapes the world into poetic beauty while still allowing the cracks to show. It really is an instruction manual, one that reminds of a simple truth: it’s up to you how you choose to see things. Behind each emergency exit is a question: What will you do when the darkness comes? Will you find solace in your garden? On your porch? Will you reach out for comfort or to be comforted? Or will you reach out to grab the sun itself to reclaim the light with your teeth?”