Date Published: January 1 2021
Publisher: The Roaring Lion Newcastle LTD
Black ≠ Inferior is a collection of poems divided into 2 parts. The first part is a collection of thematically linked poems exploring Blackness and the myriads of issues it attracts. The second part oscillates themes— talking about consent, a query of death, a celebration of love among others. In his usual stylistic, this collection deals with weighty matters like race and colourism with simple and clear language.
In Black ≠ Inferior, we see Tolu’ Akinyemi reacting in response to the world, to issues that affect Black people. Here, we see a poet shedding off his burdens through his poems; hence, the beauty of this collection is in the issues it attempts to address. In this collection, Tolu’ wears a coat of many colours – he is a preacher, a prophet, a doctor and a teacher.
We see Tolu’ the preacher in these lines:
‘I wish you can rise through the squalor of poverty
and voices that watercolour you as under-represented.
I wish you can emblaze your name in gold,
and swim against every wave of hate.’
This is a collection of poems fit for the present narrative as any (Black) person who reads this collection should beam with confidence at the end. This is what the poet sets out to achieve with his oeuvre.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpN5nfJG4Ms]
About the Author
Tolu’ A. Akinyemi hails from Nigeria and lives in the UK where he has been endorsed by the Arts Council England as a writer with “exceptional talent”.
Tolu is the author of seven outstanding books which includes, Dead Lions Don’t Roar (Poetry, 2017) Unravel your Hidden Gems (Essays, 2018) Dead Dogs Don’t Bark (Poetry, 2018) Dead Cats Don’t Meow (Poetry, 2019) Never Play Games With The Devil (Poetry, 2019) Inferno of Silence (Short Stories, 2020) A Booktiful Love (Poetry, 2020). Two poetry collections, “Black ≠ Inferior” and “Never Marry a Writer” are scheduled for publication in early 2021.
A former headline act at Great Northern Slam, Crossing The Tyne Festival, Feltonbury Arts and Music Festival, and featured in various Poetry Festivals, Open Slam, Poetry Slam, Spoken Word and Open Mic events in and outside the United Kingdom.
His poems have appeared in the 57th issue (Volume 15, no 1) of the Wilderness House Literary Review, The Writers Cafe Magazine- Issue 18, GN Books, Lion and Lilac and elsewhere.
His books are based on a deep reality and often reflect relationships, life and features people he has met in his journey as a writer. His books have instilled many people to improve their performance and/or their circumstances. Tolu’ has taken his poetry to the stage, performing his written word at many events. Through his writing and these performances, he supports business leaders, other aspiring authors and people of all ages interested in reading and writing. Sales of the books have allowed Tolu’ donate to charity, allowing him to make a difference where he feels important, showing that he lives by the words he puts to page.
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Across the Miles: Poems of Fantasy, Faith, and Fun
by Annie Douglass Lima
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| cover photography by Lisa Douglass |
These poems touch on themes such as travel, friendship, nature, God, music, fantasy, music, animal encounters, and school. Some whimsical, some serious, they include specific, lesser-known varieties of poetry such as pantoum, rondeau, triolet, roundel, and villanelle.
Read on to sample two of the poems in Across the Miles!
Monopoly (a Pantoum)
A pantoum consists of four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of one stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza. It works well to describe noisy places or repetitive thoughts or conversations.
“Monopoly’s such a fun game.”
“So now how much more do I owe you?”
“Did you pay as much as you claim?”
“The rules are right here, let me show you.”
“So now how much more do I owe you?”
“You’re not getting Boardwalk from me!”
“The rules are right here, let me show you.”
“It’s ‘Get out of Jail for Free’.”
“You’re not getting Boardwalk from me!”
“Will all you guys please be more quiet?”
“It’s ‘Get out of Jail for Free’.”
“You landed on mine, don’t deny it.”
“Will all you guys please be more quiet?”
“I can’t hear a word that you say.”
“You landed on mine, don’t deny it.”
“Just pass me the dice, then I’ll play.”
“I can’t hear a word that you say.”
“Are Reading and Short Line for sale?”
“Just pass me the dice, then I’ll play.”
“So how do I get out of jail?”
“Are Reading and Short Line for sale?”
“She owes you nine hundred for rent.”
“So how do I get out of jail?”
“You know how much money I’ve spent?”
“She owes you nine hundred for rent.”
“Aha, he’s advancing my way now!”
“You know how much money I’ve spent?”
“You landed on Baltic, so pay now.”
“Aha, he’s advancing my way now.”
“Did she roll a three or a four?”
“You landed on Baltic, so pay now.”
“I don’t want to play anymore.”
“Did she roll a three or a four?”
“You owe me two hundred and twenty.”
“I don’t want to play anymore.”
“Don’t buy more hotels – you’ve got plenty!”
“You owe me two hundred and twenty.”
“Did you pay as much as you claim?”
“Don’t buy more hotels – you’ve got plenty!”
“Monopoly’s such a fun game.”
Flu
For best effect, read this poem aloud with a stuffy nose and hoarse voice.
I’ve decided I hate the flu – I really do!
The soreness and aching,
the temp’rature taking
which tries to make me a believer that I’ve only got a fever
of 99.2
but I’m pretty sure that thermometer’s a liar
’cause it feels way higher
and I think I may slowly be going insane
’cause my cough’s such a pain
with its racking and its hacking
while all of the drugs that I take are in vain
and my head and my chest
are both tight and congest-
ed, and I’m faced with issues
like running out of tissues
(’cause my drippy nose never stops)
and having to bring cough drops
everywhere I go
and my eyes getting runny
– and NO! It’s not funny!
’cause I don’t like being in pain and congested and woozy
And inconvenienced and fevered and fluzy.
Want to enjoy nearly a hundred more poems like this? Click here to download your copy of Across the Miles for just $2.99 (that’s only about three cents per poem!). Or gift a paperback copy to a poetry-loving friend or family member for Christmas!
About the Poet:
Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, poetry, Bible verse coloring and activity books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.
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My Review:
I enjoyed this charming little book of free verse poetry by an online friend of mine! All of them are inspirational poems based on nature walks Christopher Kelder took. I was fascinated at the idea of writing a collection of poems all inspired by the same kind of event, and yet all different. The color photos that go with each poem really add to the experience. Anyone who likes poems about God and walking in nature is bound to enjoy this fun collection! Why not take a look?
Here’s a sample poem from the book that I particularly enjoyed (I needed the reminder!).
DECEMBER SUNSHINE
About the Author:
Christopher Kelder is an inspirational poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker in Lexington, Kentucky. His short story collection, A Catholic Celebration, is available at christopherkelderauthor.com. His new book, The Secret of Cobb Creek: A Depression-Era Story of E. Kentucky is available at Barnes and Noble and also on Amazon. His new novella, A Time for Healing, will soon be available at both places.
I’ve been teaching a unit on poetry to my fifth grade class here at Morrison Academy, and my students have enjoyed writing poems in a number of different styles. Now that we’re finished, I’ve chosen some of the best (at least one from each student) to put together into a poetry anthology. The class is very excited that this has now been published as a Kindle eBook and is available for sale on Amazon.com!
The book only costs US$2.99, and the class voted to donate all proceeds to a nonprofit organization called Taiwan Sunshine (more information below). This is a great ministry that our students have worked with on several occasions.
Then I held an optional cover-designing contest among my students. There were six different entries, some created individually and others in pairs or groups. I showed the students all the entries on the big screen, and once again they voted for their favorites. (Sorry, these aren’t the best quality photographs; they’re just pictures I took of the artwork lying on the carpet.)
Below is the final version of the winning cover design. I scanned it on the school’s color scanner, and then our computer teacher graciously volunteered to touch up the colors a little in Photoshop and add the black border. You can see the difference!
Here’s the “product description” (like the blurb on the back of a paper book) that I wrote about our anthology. I tried to use tidbits from as many students’ poems as possible:
The book is available on your Kindle or any device with a Kindle application. The app can be downloaded for free from Amazon for the iPad, iTouch, iPhone, Android, PC or Mac, Windows 7 Phone, etc.
Click here to view or purchase our poetry anthology on Amazon or download the Kindle application. Morrison’s fifth grade students and Taiwan Sunshine appreciate your support!
Click here to read about Sunshine Leaking, the anthology written by my last year’s class.
Click here to read about A Boom in the Room, the anthology written by my class two years ago.
Interested in putting together your own anthology (or other eBook)? Click here to see the step-by-step instructions I put together on how to go through the process. It isn’t what I’d call a simple process, but it’s free and very doable for those willing to put in the time and effort.