"Real trust is to do so in the clear face of doubt, and to trust is to love. This is my failure, and for this I cannot be forgiven."

This beautiful, evocative line comes just a few moments after a man receives an unreliable pony as a birthday gift and tries to jump it over a river. And that is surrealism at its finest.

I was introduced to Schomburg in grad school when I was assigned his first collection, "The Man Suit," and while it wasn't love at first sight, it slowly grew into one of my favorite books of the year—and one I still return to ("Underneath William Mckinley" is simultaneously hilarious and painful, and depending on the day, it's my poetic epistemology).

Now, a couple years after reading "The Man Suit," it's been nothing short of a pleasure to dive into "Fjords Vol. 1." In this collection, Schomburg's found a novel way to explore icy, heartbreaking visions of death without falling into pretentious angst or flippant nihilism. His subject matter is wholly absurd, and his dry delivery is often hilarious, but within those odd visions, there is an earnest desire to wrestle with notions of truth and love, as well as the unpredictability and inevitability of death.

You won't connect with every piece in this collection, and if you're too concerned with analysis, you'll quickly frustrate yourself. But I loved my time with "Fjords Vol. 1," and I think it's well worth your time. Be sure to check out a few of my favorites below:

"Magazine Stand"
"New Dress Shirt"
"New Job Serving Fried Pies"
"Testy Pony"
"Tiny Castle"
"Costa Rica"