Monday, February 26, 2024

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

 


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