I really do like poetry…but not this one

Love: Selected Poems by e.e. cummings

I picked this book as a quick read.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t moved by the poems. The images dominated and the subject matter was boring.  I couldn’t maintain any interest in this book.  Rather than reading this book, I would suggest picking up anything by Ellen Hopkin (her stuff is more free-verse though), anything by Maya Angelou’s I Know Why A Cage Bird Sings, Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade or Jazmin’s Notebook, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, anything by Robert Frost (he’s my favorite), Nikki Giovanni’s Love Poems (I first read her poems in junior high), Karen Hesse’s Out of Dust or Tupac Shakur’s The Rose that Grew From Concrete.

Keesha’s House by Helen Frost

Having read, The Braid, which I enjoyed, I decided to pick up this book.  Keesha’s House is a 2004 Printz Honor book.  I LOVED it!  Written in traditional poetic form, this book is about seven teens dealing with problems such as pregnancy, homosexuality, alcoholism, physical abuse, foster care, etc.  Its message will resonate with teens.  If you’ve never read this, pick it up. Some readalikes: Sharon Creech’s Heartbeat, Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade, Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion. Highly recommended.

Walking on Glass – Free verse

I approached this book with no expectations and was very pleased.  This is a free-verse novel about a teenage boy whose mother attempts suicide and ends up in coma.  His mother is kept alive through live-support.  He has to make an important decision –should he keep her alive or let her go?  A very quick and engaging read. Highly recommended.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN by Maya Angelou (a reflection)

After reading several poems, I began thinking about some of my favorites.  What made them so special to me? So I began to cogitate on the works of a few greats like Robert Frost, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and of course Dr. Maya Angelou.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can’t see. I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a womanPhenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, ‘Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Maya Angelou

When I first read this poem, I thought, “What a fine representation of the black woman” but the more I have matured, the more I understand its meaning.  It represents all women – as we learn to love ourselves through all the hypocrisy and self-doubt.  Yes, being a woman is hard work.  We endure and overcome because the strength of our souls cannot be subdued.

A fire in my hands by Gary Soto

 

 

This book could be like millions of other collection of poems, but fortunately it is not.  In this concise book, Gary Soto brings his experiences as young Mexican-American boy growing up in California to life.  The poems are clear and direct, but with emotions –helping you relive your own childhood along with his.  Another recommended book by Gary Soto is The Afterlife.