Tag Archives: poetry

I wrote this for You: PLEASEFINDTHIS by Iain S. Thomas

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I Wrote This For You is a poetry collection by Iain S. Thomas. This was gifted to me by a friend, so I didn’t know much about the author before picking up the book. The author started this compilation of free verse and photography as an online project which resulted in this book. Perhaps if I had followed the online project first, I would have better understood the rhythms and meanings behind a lot of this book.

The book is divided into four parts – Sun, Moon, Stars, and Rain. The premise of the book seems to be that it was written for one particular person, someone in his life who passed away, maybe. For the first three sections, the poems seem to move quickly back and forth between romantic love and obsessive behavior. It gave me a bit of whiplash.

With each poem, there is a picture accompany the verse.  Sometimes the connection seemed clear, other times it did not. It included both black and white pictures and ones in color. I kept thinking that maybe this was a clue to what he was trying to communicate, but for the most part it just seemed jumbled with no clear order.

But the last section was my favorite. It made observations on social justice and community, how we are not meant to be alone, and how people are made up of everything that has happened to them. I marked several of the poems in the last section that meant more to me than the ones in the first three sections.

Whether it was a puzzle I wasn’t able to crack, or just a collection of poems meant for someone else completely, this book was fascinating. It may not be a book I would pick up again, but some of the poems were enjoyable and thought-provoking.  I would recommend this book to people who enjoy connecting poetry to visual art, and there really is a poem in there that someone could connect with, whether it was heartbreak or finding new love or longing for community or remembering the past.

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Home Body by Rupi Kaur

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Home Body is the third collection of poetry written by Rupi Kaur. I haven’t read any of her other collections, though they are now on my list. This collection is personal, raw, intimate, and beautiful.

It’s divided into four parts – mind, body, rest, and awake. Each section surrounds a different theme. Mind is about trauma and mental health. Body is more about relationships, particularly romantic relationships with the opposite sex. Rest is about productivity and how we spend our energy. Awake is about community and social justice.

There is some triggering content, especially in the first section around her trauma.  Sexual assault is mentioned, particularly from a young age. But throughout the book, we see how she reconnects to her body and mind despite the abuse she endured. It isn’t just left in the darkness of that part of her life, but there are glimmers of hope and resilience there as well.

All of the poems are in free verse, some as small as only a line or two, similar to a thought or a tweet. But there are some longer poems that are also included. Productivity Anxiety really resonated with me, and it was probably the longest written poem at over three pages. However, all of the poems are connected by theme, by thought. Nothing stands completely alone on its own.

There are so many good ones. Ones that I related to, ones that encouraged me, and ones that challenged me to be inclusive particularly in communal aspects. I would recommend this to any woman, particularly those who struggle with trauma, anxiety, or depression. It would be a great gift for someone graduating from college or anyone who is facing the world on their own for the first time.

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Space Struck: A Review

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Space Struck by Paige Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a recent Life’s Library pick that is a collection of poems. I have a small library of poetry, but it’s not the first place I look to for new things to read. That’s why I like this book club. It really has broaden the genres on my shelves.

This particular collection has some incredible lines. The entire book is worth it just for the line “I’m the vice president of panic and the president is missing.” Some of the poems went over my head or left me a little lost. And then another line would hit me hard like, “I move through life like I’m trying to avoid a stranger’s vacation photo,” or “I think about how hard it is for me to believe in the first Adam because if Adam had the power to name everything, everything would be named Adam.”

It’s full of clever observations, Biblical references, and changes perspectives from poem to poem (which was one of the reasons I could feel lost at times). But the whole book is a trip and one that leaves you thinking long after it is put back on the shelf.

It does have profanity, so be aware of that. The sexual or violent content is not explicit but there is some symbolism and innuendo in the text.

Point Blank: A Review

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Point Blank: Poems by Alan King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was given this book by the poet author, Alan King, to review. I think these kinds of poems are timely and needed at this moment in our history. King invites his readers into his life in such a vulnerable and authentic way.
I loved a lot of the references and metaphors. Food is probably my favorite of his imagery. I can almost smell the food cooking in the kitchen – the coconut and okra. His parents are immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago which seems to play heavily in with the food. It made it feel welcoming and homey, nostalgic for family.
Some of my favorite poems were about his family. “The Hostess” about his mom welcoming his dad home with food. “The Listener” about his aunt and how her memories live on in the small reminders around him.
But they also described his perspective on racism and racial profiling. “Striptease” is not what it sounds like it would be like. It’s about his cousin being accused of shoplifting. But the vulnerable wordplay is raw and honest.
Also, he has some comic book references, which I can relate to, as I like the superhero comics. “Hulk” which is the first poem in the book was really good about stereotypes put on black men (and I love the twist at the end).
There are a few poems with profanity, and there is some sexual and violent content in some of the poems as well, but as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to those who want to broaden their perspective and understand what it is like for black males and immigrants and sons of immigrants. Very good work.

The Poet X: A Review

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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a Young Adult Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction. It’s written completely in poetry form, which I thought was perfect for National Poetry Month in April. I received my copy in my Page Habit box. It’s not really something I might have picked up on my own, although the format was quite intriguing, and I might have gotten it much later in the year. The book came out in March.
The story follows Xiomara, a 15-year-old girl living in Harlem in the present day. Her family is from the Dominican Republic, but her and her twin brother were born in America. Her mother is a devout Catholic and her father a recovering womanizer who doesn’t speak much. Xiomara has to navigate high school, the neighborhood, her changing body and the remarks from boys and men alike about those changes, as well as her mother’s strict opinions and rules about faith.
I was actually surprised how much faith is the center of this story. Xiomara, in several of the poems, examines her doubt and her struggle with faith and her opinion of God. The line that caught my breath was “God just wants me to behave so I can earn being alive.”
Since the book is mostly written in poetic form, the plot goes pretty quickly. It covers from the end of summer to the beginning of the next spring. So much happens in that timeframe that develops the characters, especially Xiomara and her brother. The book is divided into three parts, and the third part I just breezed through because the plot speeds up and so much of the story really plays out in that last section.

There is profanity in the book, as well as a lot of sexual content. There is one poem about masturbation and several about her relationship with a boy in bio class. The conflict of sexual urges versus waiting to be ready is apparent through most of that relationship.
There are a few moments of violence, but nothing graphic. Xiomara, before she really gets into the poetry, relied on her fists to protect herself and her brother. But that really was more just referenced than spelled out.

I think it might be a good book to read with a mother and daughter. It definitely would spark conversation with the endless pressures young girls deal with in today’s society as well as within the church. I would recommend it, but with the caveats of the profanity and sexual content. But the ending of the book is so beautiful. Flawed, but completely beautiful, which is why I give it four stars and a recommendation.