Scan barcode
kumipaul's review
5.0
Ok, the book (the poem, song, rap....whatever you want to call it) was good on its own, but when read alongside the author's performance of it on YouTube or wherever you can see it, it is remarkable. She totally brings the characters to life in all their darkness and hopelessness, and she leaves us with hope at the end. Quite excellent.
yellowcloudintrousers's review
4.0
4.5 //
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (John, 4:18)
And life's just a thing that he does
He rolls over, cold pillow, warm body
At the end of his tether, as usual, he breathes softly
He burrows down deep, and he closes his eyes
And he thinks, "Is this really what it means to be alive?"
When we gonna see that life is happening?
And that every single body bleeding on its knees is an abomination
And every natural being is making communication
And we’re just sparks, tiny parts of a bigger constellation
We’re miniscule molecules that make up one body
You see the tragedy and pain of a person that you’ve never met
Is present in your nightmares, in your pull towards despair
And the sickness of the culture, and the sickness in our hearts
Is a sickness that’s inflicted by this distance that we share
Now, it was our bombs that started this war
And now it rages far away
So we dismiss all its victims as strangers
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (John, 4:18)
And life's just a thing that he does
He rolls over, cold pillow, warm body
At the end of his tether, as usual, he breathes softly
He burrows down deep, and he closes his eyes
And he thinks, "Is this really what it means to be alive?"
When we gonna see that life is happening?
And that every single body bleeding on its knees is an abomination
And every natural being is making communication
And we’re just sparks, tiny parts of a bigger constellation
We’re miniscule molecules that make up one body
You see the tragedy and pain of a person that you’ve never met
Is present in your nightmares, in your pull towards despair
And the sickness of the culture, and the sickness in our hearts
Is a sickness that’s inflicted by this distance that we share
Now, it was our bombs that started this war
And now it rages far away
So we dismiss all its victims as strangers
samrossvolante's review
4.0
I’ve been aware of Kae Tempest for a few years - probably since around the time Let Them Eat Chaos came out, if not a little earlier. I received this book as a present from a friend of mine, who writes beautiful poetry, so I knew to trust them on this.
As a lifelong Londoner, I enjoyed this poem as it’s kind of a love letter to the city. Of course, as it should be, it’s also deeply critical of the gentrification London continues to undergo, which disenfranchises people more and more every day. It forces you to confront the horrors of climate change, too, if only while reading it. The hope with this work is that people will change the way they see London, our country and the world, or at least realise that they should - and it serves as a grim reminder not just of the direction in which the world’s climate is going, but also of the blood on the hands of the UK, as it continues to participate in wars across the world.
This poem was written to be read aloud, and you can tell - but not in a bad way. Tempest writes in a manner that allowed me as a reader to almost picture them performing it; I was able to settle into the rhythm of the work almost instantly.
All in all, a great way to spend an hour that will hopefully get you thinking about the state of our world for many more.
As a lifelong Londoner, I enjoyed this poem as it’s kind of a love letter to the city. Of course, as it should be, it’s also deeply critical of the gentrification London continues to undergo, which disenfranchises people more and more every day. It forces you to confront the horrors of climate change, too, if only while reading it. The hope with this work is that people will change the way they see London, our country and the world, or at least realise that they should - and it serves as a grim reminder not just of the direction in which the world’s climate is going, but also of the blood on the hands of the UK, as it continues to participate in wars across the world.
This poem was written to be read aloud, and you can tell - but not in a bad way. Tempest writes in a manner that allowed me as a reader to almost picture them performing it; I was able to settle into the rhythm of the work almost instantly.
All in all, a great way to spend an hour that will hopefully get you thinking about the state of our world for many more.
emcatbee's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Tempest's poetry is absolutely incredible. Bucket list to see them live.
polly_baker's review
5.0
The live performance of this is incredible. Some kind of visceral deliverance expelled by a prophet into a darkened room, thumping with drum sounds and sweat.
panelparty's review
5.0
Read for Popsugar 2020: Book Pick Due to Title
Read for Book Riot Read Harder 2020: Audiobook of Poetry
Whoa. This is a fucking Experience! Its meant to be read aloud, and with an accompanying album. I listened to a live performance of this with the music.
Are there some generic platitudes in here along the way? Sure. But I have never experienced a book like this one before - the anxious background track coupled with the snippets of individual lives coming to a big crescendo all worked together perfectly and this was the perfect accompaniment to a long drive home after an even longer day.
Even if it ends up being not your thing, take an hour of your life and give this thing a shot!
Read for Book Riot Read Harder 2020: Audiobook of Poetry
Whoa. This is a fucking Experience! Its meant to be read aloud, and with an accompanying album. I listened to a live performance of this with the music.
Are there some generic platitudes in here along the way? Sure. But I have never experienced a book like this one before - the anxious background track coupled with the snippets of individual lives coming to a big crescendo all worked together perfectly and this was the perfect accompaniment to a long drive home after an even longer day.
Even if it ends up being not your thing, take an hour of your life and give this thing a shot!