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A review by helenareadsbooks
Born Sacred: Poems for Palestine by Smokii Sumac
emotional
reflective
4.0
Born Sacred: Poems for Palestine is a collection of 100 poems by Smokii Sumac (they/he). These poems, written between October 2023 and April 2024, reflect on Palestine, colonial violence, and the struggles of Indigenous people around the globe. Most importantly, this book refuses to normalize this violence, and instead commits to empathy, solidarity, and truth.
As a member of the Ktunaxa nation, Sumac aptly draws parallels between the struggles of Palestinians and the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The poet points out the similarities between residential school denialism and denialism of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, noting that what we are witnessing is settler colonialism and empire in action. This is important to recognize because settler colonialism is a part of the history of so-called Canada—it’s how the country was created. Understanding the interconnected nature of these struggles is crucial to standing in solidarity and working towards liberation.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think about Palestine, and Sumac captured a lot of own feelings in their poems. This book reads like a diary and I think it effectively conveys the everyday grief that comes with bearing witness to a live-streamed genocide. I’m grateful to see work like this because it’s a reminder that I’m not alone in my grief and anger. This book is also unwavering in its belief that change is possible, providing hope and solace to help us carry on.
These poems hold space for the world’s collective grief, and refuse to give in to apathy. Born Sacred invites us to sit with our grief and remember that we can all take action to create a better world.
Thank you Fernwood Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book to review.
As a member of the Ktunaxa nation, Sumac aptly draws parallels between the struggles of Palestinians and the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The poet points out the similarities between residential school denialism and denialism of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, noting that what we are witnessing is settler colonialism and empire in action. This is important to recognize because settler colonialism is a part of the history of so-called Canada—it’s how the country was created. Understanding the interconnected nature of these struggles is crucial to standing in solidarity and working towards liberation.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think about Palestine, and Sumac captured a lot of own feelings in their poems. This book reads like a diary and I think it effectively conveys the everyday grief that comes with bearing witness to a live-streamed genocide. I’m grateful to see work like this because it’s a reminder that I’m not alone in my grief and anger. This book is also unwavering in its belief that change is possible, providing hope and solace to help us carry on.
These poems hold space for the world’s collective grief, and refuse to give in to apathy. Born Sacred invites us to sit with our grief and remember that we can all take action to create a better world.
Thank you Fernwood Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book to review.