cover image Collected Poems

Collected Poems

Sonia Sanchez. Beacon, $29.95 (424p) ISBN 978-0-8070-2652-6

In a haiku that appears toward the end of this collected, Sanchez writes: “i am who i am./ nothing hidden.” It’s a small poem, tucked into a hefty collection that spans ages, loves, and histories, but it epitomizes Sanchez’s vulnerability and ability to translate daily life, Blackness, and passion into language. In her work, one notices the sadness of a woman “alone/ amid all this noise” but also joy, in, for instance, a poem dedicated to “dcs 8th graders—1966–67”: “look at us/ 8th grade/ we are black/ beautiful and our black/ ness sings out.” There is also an inherent playfulness; in a poem for a two-year-old child, Sanchez writes: “if i cud ever write a poem as beautiful/ as u, little 2/ yr/ old/ brotha,/ poetry wud go out of bizness.” Life is “like an echo of nostalgia,” she declares, and missing someone is “like/ spring standing still on a hill/ amid winter snow.” In another haiku, Sanchez mourns: “what is it about/ me that i claim all the wrong/ lives, the same endings?” Sanchez has lived a rich life, writing devoutly throughout. This collection serves as a testament to that life, inviting readers to learn to live more fully, and to protest, rage, and love. (Apr.)