by Warsan Shire
(PR6119.H518 B55 2022)
Warsan Shire may be a familiar name if you've ever seen or heard the 2016 visual album Lemonade by Beyonce, in which Shire wrote all the spoken poetry. She again collaborated with Beyonce in 2020 for the musical film Black is King.
In her first full-length collection, Shire explores themes of strained mother-and-daughter relationships, the experiences of refugees and immigrants, Black womanhood, and adolescence. Many of the poems are absolutely heartbreaking. My favorite in the collection is "Home," where Shire, who is a Somali British writer born in Nairobi, writes about the impossible choices refugees are forced to confront:
No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. You only
run for the border when you see the whole city running as well.
The boy you went to school with, who kissed you dizzy behind the
old tin factory, is holding a gun bigger than his body. You only
leave home when home won't let you stay.
The subject matter and themes in Bless the Daughter Raised By a Voice in Her Head can be painful, but the collection is beautifully crafted, impactful, and accessible.
Helpful hint to readers: there is a short glossary at the back of the collection listing non-English words that you may want to refer to from time to time!
