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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
I loved this collection of poetry! Smith's words were so delicate yet so raw. My favorite poems were the ones where the object or thing was writing to a black boy. Those poems were the strongest in my opinion. I also loved When Maze & Frankie Beverly Come on in My House because it made me think of my parents and how they react when a song that they love comes on. These poems made me feel sad, angry, and even happy.
I must say that this collection of poetry is easily on my list of all-time favorites. It will break your heart at times, but it will also nourish you and remind you that there is so much more to life than the pain and grief we are dealt. It will remind you of all the magical moments that are in-between, and the quiet joy that can be had in our connection with family and loved ones. Smith’s use of language is all at once comforting and upending. Some poems lull you back to the sweetness of childhood, while others remind you exactly of the kind of world we live in. Yet, there is always hope waiting on the next line or page; just as there is always hope waiting for us in life.
I knew of Clint Smith the scholar who was also a poet and was lucky enough to see a talk he gave about reconsidering history. Smith wove his poetry through his lecture and I was hooked, moved beyond words. I picked up his book immediately and have read it twice in the past few days. I can’t wait to use this work in my American literature class.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
"I celebrate every breath, tried to start counting
them so I wouldn’t take each one for granted.
I wish I could give my breath to the boys who
had theirs taken, but I’ve stopped counting
because it feels like there are too many
boys & not enough breath to go around.” (22, 'Counting Descent')
Clint Smith is a spectacular talent. I forgot who posted it but I decided to read this collection after someone on Instagram shared his gorgeous love poem 'Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us'. I instantly fell in love with it and while I was very familiar with Smith's non fiction writing and spoken word I was surprised by the tenderness in this collection. Smith can write the most romantic of love poems, thinking specifically of 'Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us' and' Today I Bought a Book for You' and I did not expect that. It made me understand why poetry can be romantic and made me wishful that I'd never loved a poet. These poems are about many things; family and lineage, trauma, incarceration, violence, childhood, joy, love and New Orleans, to name a few. All of them rooted in Blackness and the variety of the Black experience. The poems are also interesting because many vary in structure and form, it's a delicious reading experience to watch Smith experiment with different ways of writing poems. I didn't always understand the structural choices but I appreciated the creativity.
COUNTING DESCENT is a magnificent poetry collection. It's soulful and stirring, full of love for Smith's family, his hometown and Black people. Even when writing about emotional topics this collection was a wonder to read. I still don't know how to review poetry but these poems made me feel things and never felt inaccessible or pretentious. This is the kind of poetry that should be taught in school. It is very hard to choose my favorite poems in this collection but some stand outs were; Counting Descent (titular poem), Lifeline, Chaos Theory, An Evening at the Louvre, Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us and Today I Bought a Book for You. A collection to re-read and savor.
"my city sustains itself by hosting
those who will not stay" (47, 'Lifeline')
"but I think instead I might like
to be in a garden
where even after I die the residue
of me can help grow something
more beautiful than I ever was" (58, 'An Evening at the Louvre')
them so I wouldn’t take each one for granted.
I wish I could give my breath to the boys who
had theirs taken, but I’ve stopped counting
because it feels like there are too many
boys & not enough breath to go around.” (22, 'Counting Descent')
Clint Smith is a spectacular talent. I forgot who posted it but I decided to read this collection after someone on Instagram shared his gorgeous love poem 'Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us'. I instantly fell in love with it and while I was very familiar with Smith's non fiction writing and spoken word I was surprised by the tenderness in this collection. Smith can write the most romantic of love poems, thinking specifically of 'Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us' and' Today I Bought a Book for You' and I did not expect that. It made me understand why poetry can be romantic and made me wishful that I'd never loved a poet. These poems are about many things; family and lineage, trauma, incarceration, violence, childhood, joy, love and New Orleans, to name a few. All of them rooted in Blackness and the variety of the Black experience. The poems are also interesting because many vary in structure and form, it's a delicious reading experience to watch Smith experiment with different ways of writing poems. I didn't always understand the structural choices but I appreciated the creativity.
COUNTING DESCENT is a magnificent poetry collection. It's soulful and stirring, full of love for Smith's family, his hometown and Black people. Even when writing about emotional topics this collection was a wonder to read. I still don't know how to review poetry but these poems made me feel things and never felt inaccessible or pretentious. This is the kind of poetry that should be taught in school. It is very hard to choose my favorite poems in this collection but some stand outs were; Counting Descent (titular poem), Lifeline, Chaos Theory, An Evening at the Louvre, Each Morning Is a Ritual Made Just for Us and Today I Bought a Book for You. A collection to re-read and savor.
"my city sustains itself by hosting
those who will not stay" (47, 'Lifeline')
"but I think instead I might like
to be in a garden
where even after I die the residue
of me can help grow something
more beautiful than I ever was" (58, 'An Evening at the Louvre')
Easily one of my favorite poetry books that I read in 2019. I'm so glad this gem was available on audio via my library. Loved Smith's reading of the poems, loved how he tied the collection together with the poems addressed to the Black Boy by different elements/locations, loved the love poems so tender they hurt, in a good way, the way good poems can break your heart. Such a thoughtful look at racism, childhood, and family bonds. This is a book I will definitely reread.
Not much one for poetry but a lot of these had been circling online lately in posts about BLM and protesting and I wanted to see about more (and also make sure Dr. Smith III is getting paid...). If poetry makes me think past the end or feel something at all, I’m in, and these did both. Very strong and well-rounded collection, and I was marveling at the line breaks when lo and behold I came across a poem about line breaks. Love it. Read it, it’s very good and very important.