For a person who doesn't read a lot of poetry, long collections can be daunting. Poetry that sometimes threatens to split your head in two with a lot of hidden symbolism can be tiring if you don't love to read poetry.
Recently, contemporary poetry has evolved and poetry is now written in beautiful, flowing prose that you can finish in one sitting. If that seems like something you need now, here's a list of 5 picks you may like:
1. Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward.
In this book, Yrsa talks about very sensitive things like sexuality, death, mental health and familial bond. The first time I read Bone, I couldn't stop thinking about how much the poems seemed to talk to me.
2. Your Soul Is A River by Nikita Gill.
This is a book about how to pick yourself up from the innumerable hurt and heal again. The string of short pieces of this book talk about how to bounce back from the pain of trauma and become whole again, all by yourself. The author directs you to apply the words to your soul gently, whilst
sitting under the stars.
3. Zimbabwe – Tapiwa Mugabe.
Zimbabwe is the debut poetry collection by this writer who weaves the themes of loss, heartbreak, motherly care and love into this chapbook. This collection bring forth a fresh and unique voice into the rich froth that is bubbling from the new-age African millenial writers.
4. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.
Milk and honey is a collection of short, simple but sweet poems about learning to survive the aftermath of violence, love, loss and abuse.
It is divided into four parts, each one serving a different intent , deals with a distinct pain, heals a
different heartache. This book will hold you by the hand, take you through a journey of the most
bitter-sweet moments in life and inspire you to find sweetness in everything else, no matter how little.
5. The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace.
This collection split into four chapters poetry namely the princess, the damsel,
the queen, & you. The princess, the damsel,
& the queen try to paint us a picture of three important stages in the life of the author about love, grief, feminism and inspiration and the last chapter is a heartfelt note to the reader.
6. Mouthful of Forevers by Clementine von Radics.
Clementine von Radics pens beautiful lines about love, loss and the difficulties and allurement of life
with a captivating poetic voice that seems to pierce your heart if you've ever been young.
7. Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo.
The first thing that will strike you about this collection is the choral richness the author employs to talk about raw sensitive truths that boldly celebrates womanhood. Umebinyuo put the words that every African woman wants to write into this book. She talks about the pain, passion and the power of a fierce love from the depth of our souls.
Have you read any of these poetry books? Share your thoughts with us.
