(ThyBlackMan.com) “Hey. I just wanted to let you know you’re absolutely beautiful and I know if I had the chance to wake up to you every morning that It would truly be a bliss…”
Love and intimacy have always been a part of the culture, and poetry is a medium to express Black love. That expression tends to cover every aspect of intimacy. Far too often we look at literature that embraces this aspect of our culture in an apprehensive manner. However, embracing such would allow the reader to engage in love with their partner on a deeper lever, as the words would give a meaning to feelings allowing a communication that can sustain one’s love. There are those that may shy away from more direct expressions of physical intimacy, but in often times there is more than merely the intertwining of bodies within those words. In the poetry book, “hoetry” by poet Darin Lee titles can be deceiving. As the reader turns the page they dive into an abyss of words that question, affirm, negate, and expressly show the depths of love and true intimacy. The reader is not given a one sided view…there is joy & pain, heat and coldness…everything that embodies the love experience.
“I’m tired of asking the right questions to the wrong people. Consoling in people who have crippled you. Now they come to push your wheelchair in fake support.”
The author has given vivid thought-provoking poetry that takes us through the phases of intimacy from the mind to the body. The reader might be cautious looking at the title, but the depths of the poetry are worth exploring. Though the pieces are stand along…they tend to feel like an ongoing conversation between the gratification of physical pleasure, and the reality of true intimacy far beyond the body. It will make the reader wonder if they may need to apologize to their partner for having been superficial per se… in the sense of overlooking the true gem that is their mind. Or, the reader may feel they need to address the lack of being seen in their relationship. There is a running these of balance between intimacy of the mind and heart, versus the body and how they work in tandem…or not. We are even forced to come to terms with what happens when love is not love but toxic pain…that we to some degree enable by trying to fix what can’t be fixed.
“women already have their solution to their problems.
already have the cure to their disease.
they simply just want to have someone to listen.
someone to hear what they hear going on in their mind.”
One of the most impactful elements of this book is a Black man writing in a manner that allows Black women to feel they are seen. This is an important part of the love experience. In a world that writes off the intimacy, love, strength, care, and ability of a Black man to love a Black woman fully…this book will have Black women feeling understood. There are pieces that speak to a sistah just wanting to be heard, seen, and understood beyond just her body. A brutha is examining what he sees when looking at a Black woman, and questioning is he is missing her essence by overlooking her mind. This was such a beautiful surprise. This is a book that you can read for yourself, with your partner, or at a couples retreat that will allow for wonderful meeting of the minds conversation.
“hoetry” by poet Darin Lee, can be found at your local bookstore, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; C. Starr and also Twitter; MrzZeta.
Also via email at; CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com.