Poetry Book Review* In Fullness of the Word

"In Fullness of the Word" is as precious as a family heirloom, passed down from generations.  Symbolically speaking, this book is indeed a family heirloom.

It is a valuable collection and keepsake representing the beauty, history, depth, tapestry, and lineage of people of color, expressed through poetic form.

Over 20 Black Poet Laureates, from across the globe, whose lives intersect through their love for the written word, their humanity, their commonality of experiences as Black Americans, come together, producing a harmony akin to a seasoned church choir. 

This makes me very proud to provide this review for Black History Month.

From page one, until the book is done, readers will be engaged, enlightened, entertained, and empowered. This creative "gumbo" will leave readers "full", through the diversity of voices and viewpoints. Themes range from love gone wrong; to frustrations faced by poets experiencing writer's block; to protest pieces; to motivational poems; and even some cleverly crafted Haikus.  

Edited by Rhea Carmon, it contains nearly 200 pages (including interesting bios and photos) from the accomplished and talented contributors.

There were so many excellent selections, it would be difficult to list all of them that stood out here today.

But here are a few:

We have a New Dream, by Henry Jones states: "Silence is an echoed form of acceptance which allows the hatred to spread." Pg. 148  

In the poem Fix, Kim B. Miller writes: "You are not a broken people repair kit. They can heal without you." Pg. 2

Another impressive body of work were the pieces of Angelo 'Eyeambic' Geter.

Pgs. 46-54

This anthology deserves a place in every poetry lover's personal library.

I rate it 5 ***** stars.

Image credit: Henry L. Jones

 

Poetry Corner * Dr. Archan Mehta

Adult Dreamer?

Gentle readers:

What can I say?

I admit it:

I was a dreamy child,

Who enjoyed nothing more

Than the free ride

Of the imagination.

I was fascinated by nature:

Mountains, hills, trees and flowers,

Spoke to me directly and intimately.

In contrast,

I felt suffocated

By formal education

And could even feel the

Walls of a classroom

Holding me like

A prisoner forced

Into a jail cell.

Instead, I longed to

Break free and play

In the outdoors, hug trees

And smell the roses.

I disliked interacting with

Aggressive people with

A bossy or bullying nature.

Hence, I longed to

Break free of organizations

And institutions, such as

Marriage, family, workplace, etc.

I loved to watch

Children at play

And longed to play with them.

I wished to own the

Sky, ocean, pond, lake and river

And longed to ride

A tidal wave

Breaking into the land.

Strangers found me odd

And I found strangers odd.

Thus, literature was my

Only refuge

And books were

My best friends:

In solitude,

I would dream about

Stars enjoying a siesta

In the late afternoon,

And I would imagine

The sun crawling

Along the sky

Like a reclusive turtle.

I wanted only

To be left alone,

So I could day dream

About a brighter, new dawn.

Unburdened of worldly attachments,

I wished to roam

Wild and free

Like a gypsy, drifter or vagabond

Adrift in his own universe

Like a rudderless ship,

In the ocean, without 

A compass for guidance.

Thus, I wished to lose

Track of space and time

And drink the elixir

Of an inner wisdom, divine. 

BIO:

Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.