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This diverse collection of lyric poetry opens with an introduction to key terms from the Yorùbá religion Ifá. Written in styles ranging from free verse to elegies, odes, prose form, and visual poetry, this volume explores a wide variety of topics with a recurring underlying theme of spiritual reverence. The powerful imagery in the poem “Lepidoptera” compares a dancing moth surrounded by other bugs to people seeking spiritual enlightenment: “traveling into the night in the dense bush…risking green mambas and killer ants.” The combination of visual design elements and written expression in “Dawn” lends a creative flair and challenges readers’ interpretation of the author’s artistic intent.
Martin uses passionate, sometimes profane, language to speak out against misogyny and violence against women. Hers is a message of female empowerment and activism. In “The Waiting Tree,” Martin shines a light on the prevalence of female child abductions in Nigeria. Other poems in the collection chronicle the author’s life experiences with alcoholism, abortion, and failed relationships. “Spirochete” is an angry diatribe against debilitating disease, while “Franky” is a whimsical composition about Martin’s dog. Multiple pieces convey the pain of losing loved ones and explore the complex evolution of familial relationships. Martin laments the isolation imposed by chronic illness, unconventional spirituality, and her refusal to accept traditional gender roles. She poignantly concludes, “So the choice is lonely alone or lonely with.” Woven into a tapestry of emotional turmoil are poems celebrating friendship and inspiring hope, as Martin boldly declares, “And one day I will dance…That day is today.”
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