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Textured, with a beautiful cadence and an important message, Nwokeji's first collection is poetry with something to say!
"Lilac Bush" welcomes each reader to go on a perspective-altering pilgrimage along with the author while taking in the poetic aroma of lilacs which symbolizes renewal and love. From valleys of hardship and turmoil to mountains of sheer strength and hope, each poem serves as a beacon of awakening and cultural change. Through heartfelt narration, Pamela C. Nwokeji shares her personal experiences growing up in an urban neighborhood to bring awareness to the ongoing strife endured by Black Americans. Above all, this poetry book was penned into existence with this one main vision in mind: to be a call-to-action for the future generations for societal change through stronger families, higher education, success and strength in God.
There is a lovely cadence to Pamela Nwokeji’s first collection, Lilac Bush. Written by Nwokeji as a therapeutic aid for her own healing, and as an example to others in her community, there is an obvious purpose to these poems. Because of that, there can a repetitive nature to the poetry as Nwokeji obviously works through some long-held traumas. Fair warning, predatory men, both run of the mill creeps and outright pedophiles, are frequent flyers across this collection.
Alongside these warnings against predators, faith, loyalty to community, and a devotion to children are all running motifs throughout the body of Lilac Bush. In a hundred-page collection, Nwokeji has a lot of space to explore her themes and the ones most important to her are strikingly pervasive. Each poem is also paired with a beautiful digital graphic, also by Nwokeji, executed in a style that lands somewhere between the clean lines of early 20th century art deco, and the brilliant colors of late 20th century modernism. When it comes to art, Nwokeji has a flair all her own that is truly breathtaking in its evocation of the delightful, the terrible, and the hopeful.
As for her writing, Nwokeji’s work revels in the specifics of her Boston upbringing. Place poems like “Kensington Street” and “Boulevard Wall” stand out as bright, tangible pieces of verse towards the middle of the collection. Likewise, the broken heartbeat of “Through a Child’s Eyes”, about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. is an incredibly poignant tribute to that April evening in 1968.
As Nwokeji admits in her Preface to the collection, writing poetry is not a lifelong study for her, this is something that she picked up recently, and as such there’s a texture to her writing that only comes from writers who are still new to their craft. This texture is a bit rough at times, expressed in forced rhymes or uneven meter, but frequently that gives way to a raw honesty that makes the entire collection worth the read.
Obviously intended for a Black readership, but accessible to all, Pamela Nwokeji sought to share something deeply personal when she chose to publish this collection. Her stated intention is that this book start conversations that have gone unvoiced for too long and in that, I pray she succeeds.
Reviewed by
I'm an author, poet, part time book reviewer, and PhD. None of which impresses my cat, and only some of which pays my bills. I tend towards urban or dark fantasy and poetry, but will read anything. If you enjoy my reviews, don't forget to like or leave a tip!
Synopsis
"Lilac Bush" welcomes each reader to go on a perspective-altering pilgrimage along with the author while taking in the poetic aroma of lilacs which symbolizes renewal and love. From valleys of hardship and turmoil to mountains of sheer strength and hope, each poem serves as a beacon of awakening and cultural change. Through heartfelt narration, Pamela C. Nwokeji shares her personal experiences growing up in an urban neighborhood to bring awareness to the ongoing strife endured by Black Americans. Above all, this poetry book was penned into existence with this one main vision in mind: to be a call-to-action for the future generations for societal change through stronger families, higher education, success and strength in God.
About the author
Pamela C. Nwokeji is an African American author and poet. She grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She studied at Salem State University and the University of Massachusetts to pursue a career in Information Technology. She is married with four children. She loves to cook. She loves poetry and art. view profile
Published on October 03, 2021
Published by
20000 words
Contains mild explicit content ⚠️
Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by
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