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A review by poetics
Kissing Caskets by Mahogany L. Browne
5.0
I never like to describe poetry as simple as it can sometimes strip it of all the raw, complex emotional power it wields—yet, reading this collection was simply like breathing, I just got it.
Growing up, poetry felt inaccessible and unrelated; it was just old white men and sad white women and I couldn’t see myself anywhere as a young black girl. I would have thought very differently had this collection by Browne been around then. Her form is exquisite; yet it’s meaty—it gives you something to chew on and be nostalgic about it. However, she doesn’t sugarcoat things; each poem feels like a lived experience no matter the length and it settles into your bones. As a budding poet myself, reading such amazing work keeps the fire to do better and more going. So, in short—I am in love with this collection and wish it were longer.
Growing up, poetry felt inaccessible and unrelated; it was just old white men and sad white women and I couldn’t see myself anywhere as a young black girl. I would have thought very differently had this collection by Browne been around then. Her form is exquisite; yet it’s meaty—it gives you something to chew on and be nostalgic about it. However, she doesn’t sugarcoat things; each poem feels like a lived experience no matter the length and it settles into your bones. As a budding poet myself, reading such amazing work keeps the fire to do better and more going. So, in short—I am in love with this collection and wish it were longer.