A review by cynireads
Counting Descent by Clint Smith

5.0

An utterly phenomenal collection of poetry. Smith's ability to deliver a truth and a blessing is undeniable as well as indelible. I'll revisit this book again and again and always find something new. I'll echo and say his ability to capture the burden of being black in a country is unprecedented. I cried for his pain and the pain of all the others.

One of the most striking verses: "Maybe when I was a kid/ a white boy told me I was marginalized/ and all I could think of was the edge/ of a sheet of paper, how empty it is--/ the abyss I was told never to write into."

Ugh...that one is gonna stick with me for a long time...