Ama Ata Aidoo is one of the best-known African writers today. Spanning three decades of work, the poems in this collection address themes of colonialism, independence, motherhood, and gender in intimate, personal ways alongside commentary on broader social issues. After the Ceremonies is arranged in three parts: new and uncollected poems, some of which Aidoo calls “misplaced or downright lost”; selections from Aidoo’s An Angry Letter in January and Other Poems; and selections from Someone Talking to Sometime.                Although Aidoo is best known for her novels Changes: A Love Story and Our Sister Killjoy, which are widely read in women’s literature courses, and her plays The Dilemma of a Ghost and Anowa, which are read and performed all over the world, her prowess as a poet shines in this collection. Read more

“Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging, exquisitely tuned singer of images that invoke, link, and shine a brilliant light into the world’s whole heart. What he speaks has been embraced by readers around the world—his in an utterly necessary voice, unforgettable once discovered.”—Naomi Shihab NyeMahmoud Darwish is the leading poet in the Arab world, an artist and activist who attracts thousands to his public readings.The Butterfly's Burden combines the complete text of Darwish's two most recent full-length volumes, linked by the stunning memoir-witness poem “A State of Siege.” Love poems, sonnets, journal-like distillations, and interlaced lyrics balance old literary traditions with new forms, highlighting loving reflections alongside bitter longing.From Sonnet [V]I touch you as a lonely violin touches the suburbs of the faraway place. Patiently the river asks for its share of the drizzle. And, bit by bit, a tomorrow passing in poems approaches so I carry faraway’s land and it carries me on the road.Mahmoud Darwish is the author of 30 books of poetry and prose, as well as the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. He has worked as a journalist, was director of the Palestinian Research Center, and lived in exile until his return to Palestine in 1996. He has received many international awards for his poetry.Translator Fady Joudah is a physician based in Houston, Texas. His first book of poems received the Yale Younger Poets prize. Read more

2017 Reprint of 1935 Edition. When he published this third edition in 1935, Garvey described The Tragedy of White Injustice in these terms: "It must be remembered that this is not an attempt at poetry: it is just a peculiar style of using facts as they impress me as I go through the pages of history and as I look at and note the conduct of the white race." Garvey wrote this "epic poem" in 1927 while in an Atlanta prison. Its first and second editions were published while he was serving a five-year sentence "as the result of the white man’s prejudice in America." According to him, at the time of publishing the third edition, thousands of copies had already been circulated all over the world. Read more

Whether or not we realize it, affirmations are already part of our daily dialogue with others and with ourselves. Whatever we speak, proclaim, or declare is coming from a place of belief and acceptance, that what we have said already is, or will be so. Unfortunately, not all of our affirmations are positive, and over time we get stuck into habits of affirming in our lives the very things we do NOT desire. What I Love About Me provides the perfect space to reengineer your thinking about yourself, encouraging you to daily speak positive and loving thoughts about who you are, and whom you want to become. I hope these 99 positive affirmations inspire you not only to speak the things you desire as if they already are, but to take the action necessary to make them happen. You’ve got this. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

"I love the way you write, India….Your words are sweet and honest. You do not attempt to coerce or seduce. You do not solicit a contract with misery but instead with power, purpose and love. Thank you.” -S. Chatman. "You Look Something Blooming" is raw! Not bland or lukewarm, nor flaccid and unflavoured. It is wild honey and heat like Southern molasses and cayenne. You won't be fed stories of pain and trauma. Instead you will be placed in the fire of transformation but won't get burned. You will drink nurturing herbs and purge perceived limitations. You will lay bare on the earth with your face up towards the sky while being swept by the leaves of new narratives. This moonlit book is raw in its innocence for those who live beyond the margins and status quo. It is not a cutesy book nor does it placate to the ego. You will be inspired not to perceive yourself anything lesser than a love story. 5 years after being published this book continues to receive bountiful feedback from women globally whose imprint, health, and lives have been changed in some small or large way after reading this book. For this blessing I’m deeply grateful and inspired. I ‘write’ about real life, and it has been a love story in all its beauty and difficulties alchemized. When you 'expect’ magic, magical things happen. My body and life have been radically renewed so the work speaks for itself. While this book covers many topics, I know that openly expressing sexual energy and sexual agency have always been risky propositions for women, and as a result, can be easily misunderstood and reduced. Writing with excruciating vulnerability is the high art of feminine skillsets, but easily misinterpreted and confused. I must illuminate that this feminine reclamation and quantum leaping work isn’t for every woman or femme. I courageously write for those who have 'eyes to see and ears to hear,’ willing to see the dank river beneath the river. I will continue answering the call as an Author of Love and share that love (health, healing, and transformation) through the Creative Arts and Benevolent Feminine Rites, which are not for the timid, stagnant, or tender-footed. The Melody of love “ is a lovingly mystical and refreshingly radical literary spellbook that charms, heals, glows, amplifies, and supports healing, self-care, body transformations, and the divine feminine within us all. Part warm and witchy, part how-to grow more ass (rootworkers) and activate breast tissues (caretakers), part learning to embody love as abundance, part natural healing of fibroids and heavy, painful moon times, part conjuring and sensual narratives, part flowers, herbal teas, and fairies, part full body orgasms and orgasmic living brilliancy, part prose and word/sound/power. Part dreamy and celestial, practical and purposeful, transformative and paradigm shifting. Part ancient (Africa) and recent (Georgia/South Carolina/California). Many parts of the highest-vibrational whole of existence, the womb and its mysteries, nourishment, and total and complete darkness.—–In 2003, triple-Bachelor degreed, India Ame'ye resigned from her Sr. Accountant position in Corporate America in pursuit of passion, love (learning and embodying love), aliveness, and a big ol’ adventure. There was also the wonder and magic of pain, grief, sadness, depression, and tiny steps into learning how to return ALL experiences back into love…. and most importantly, allowing the experiences to resonate as love in the body. “You Look Like Something Blooming” is a charming yet raw encounter with spirit, adventure, love, intimacy and sex, pleasure, nature, and so much more. Described as refreshingly radical, authentic, healing, opening, while being a bit dreamy, tender, faraway, lulling, ancient yet familiar. Occasionally quite funny alongside some brand of thrilling, womanly wildness. Chockfull of intimate and feminine arts in deeply honest ways, you are sure to transform in thought, action, pleasure, and/or adventure. Read more

Poems of migration, womanhood, trauma, and resilience from the celebrated collaborator on Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Black Is King, award-winning Somali British poet Warsan Shire “The beautifully crafted poems in this collection are fiercely tender gifts.”—Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist“Warsan Shire is our ultimate modern poet. . . . This is our James Baldwin.”—The New York Times Culture DeskLONGLISTED FOR THE GRIFFIN POETRY PRIZE • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Publishers WeeklyMama, I made it / out of your home / alive, raised by / the voices / in my head. With her first full-length poetry collection, Warsan Shire introduces us to a young girl, who, in the absence of a nurturing guide, makes her own way toward womanhood. Drawing from her own life, as well as pop culture and news headlines, Shire finds vivid, unique details in the experiences of refugees and immigrants, mothers and daughters, Black women and teenage girls. In Shire’s hands, lives spring into fullness. This is noisy life, full of music and weeping and surahs and sirens and birds. This is fragrant life, full of blood and perfume and shisha smoke and jasmine and incense. This is polychrome life, full of henna and moonlight and lipstick and turmeric and kohl. The long-awaited collection from one of our most exciting contemporary poets, this book is a blessing, an incantatory celebration of resilience and survival. Each reader will come away changed. Read more

With over 70,000 copies sold globally, this timeless collection remains a staple on bedside tables worldwide. Praised by T. Markul, bestselling author of The She Book, as "Words every woman should read," this book is more than just a read; it's a journey back to self-love through the sacred wisdom of feminine energy.Feminine energy—long revered as a healer of souls—serves as your guide in this stirring collection of intention-based poetry and prose. Here, you will discover your own self-healing superpowers, realigned through the nurturing presence of the feminine psyche to foster a profound rebalancing of mind, body, and spirit.Created as a touchstone for your personal journey towards self-love, this book allows you to embrace even the deepest emotional shadows—those peaty, blackened soils from which the richest personal growth can spring. By engaging vulnerably with your emotions, not only as witnesses to your pain but also as guides through it, you'll find gentle restoration in your intuitive healing abilities, powered by the subtle, yet potent energies of the feminine.Readers cherish this book in myriad ways:As a grounding end to yoga practicesFor morning inspirationTo enrich discussions in community groupsAs an insightful gift for men seeking to understand feminine intricaciesAs a sanctuary when feeling overwhelmedAs precious gifts for mothers, daughters, and soul sistersTo deepen workshops, meditation retreats, or yoga sessionsTo enhance coaching sessionsAs a companion piece to "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola EstésSez is a poet who has chosen to leave social media and lives her message of wholeness by cultivating a deeper, more authentic connection with her readers through intimate, direct channels of communication. This deliberate choice champions a return to genuine interactions and personal growth, both on the page and in life.Awarded the 'Best New Poet Award' for Women Who Roar (2022-2023) in self-healing, this book has transformed lives. As noted by Breath Magazine, DK, "Sez articulates the words of our feminine soul, creating pieces that nourish, align, and leave you feeling deeply inspired by all life's shades." Hillary L. McBride, Ph.D., author of The Wisdom Of Your Body, calls it “Deep, raw & profound.” Embrace the transformation; begin your journey with the emotional alchemy of this profound work. Read more

"In 1968, a young Black man, Henry Dumas, went through a turnstile at a New York City subway station. A transit cop shot him in the chest and killed him. Circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Before that happened, however, he had written some of the most beautiful, moving, and profound poetry and fiction that I have ever in my life read. He was thirty-three years old when he was killed, but in those thirty-three years, he had completed work, the quality and quantity of which are almost never achieved in several lifetimes. He was brilliant. He was magnetic, and he was an incredible artist."―Toni Morrison Read more

What's Left of Me, explore a powerful collection of poems that delve into the darkest corners of the human experience– self-harm, suicide, loss, death, heartbreak, and self-hate.These poems are a reflection of my fragmented emotions, written in a state of vulnerability and chaos, without the confines of structure or order. Each piece resonates with the raw intensity of feeling, capturing moments of despair and fleeting glimmers of hope.They are not categorized or divided, mirroring the disarray of the heart and mind during times of struggle. This collection invites you to confront the complexities of pain, to find understanding in the chaos, and to discover that even in the depths of sorrow, there is a shared humanity. Join me on this emotional journey and let the words speak to the unspoken battles we all face. Read more

Unique Elements Author Biography About ColorAre you a lover of classic poetry that explores the complexities of race, identity, and the human experience? Then you won't want to miss out on "Color," the groundbreaking collection of poems by Countee Cullen.First published in 1925, "Color" was Cullen's debut collection and announced his arrival as a significant voice in the Harlem Renaissance. The poems in this collection showcase Cullen's mastery of traditional poetic forms and his ability to explore profound and often challenging themes with clarity and eloquence.Through "Color," Cullen invites readers into a world where racial identity, self-discovery, and the human experience intertwine. His words will transport you to a time when poetry was a means of expression and connection, a time when the world was still full of hope and possibilities.With its timeless themes and beautiful imagery, "Color" is a must-have for any lover of poetry or anyone interested in the rich cultural history of the Harlem Renaissance. This book will not only enrich your literary collection but also broaden your perspective on the world and inspire you to explore new depths of the human experience.So don't wait any longer. Order your copy of "Color" today and immerse yourself in the unforgettable poetry of Countee Cullen. Read more

“Directed by Desire . . . is a powerful addition to the entire canon of American poetry.”—BooklistNow in paperback, Directed by Desire is the definitive overview of June Jordan’s -poetry. Collecting the finest work from Jordan’s ten volumes, as well as dozens of “last poems” that were never published in Jordan’s lifetime, these more than six hundred pages overflow with intimate lyricism, elegance, fury, meditative solos, and dazzling vernacular riffs.As Adrienne Rich writes in her introduction, June Jordan “wanted her readers, listeners, students, to feel their own latent power—of the word, the deed, of their own beauty and intrinsic value.”From “These Poems”:These poems they are things that I do in the dark reaching for you whoever you are and are you ready?The cloth edition of Directed by Desire was selected as a Library Journal Poetry Book of the Year and received the Lambda Book Award for Lesbian Poetry.June Jordan taught at UC Berkeley for many years and founded Poetry for the People. Her twenty-eight books include poetry, essays, fiction, and children’s books. She was a regular columnist for The Progressive and a prolific writer whose articles appeared in The Village Voice, The New York Times, Ms. Magazine, and The Nation. After her death in 2002, a school in the San Francisco School District was renamed in her honor. Read more

**I know you don’t want to talk sometimes. Sometimes because it hurts and sometimes because you’re just not supposed to talk about what you want to talk about. Sometimes it can be hard to say, “this is beautiful,” when no one else can see what you see. Or, “Here, this is where the pain is.” But some part of you knows, the truth about the words you cannot say is that they only hurt until you say them. They only hurt until the person who needs to hear them, hears them.  Because we are human, and the closest we’ve ever come to showing each other who we really are, and how we love, is with words.So I’m going to try to say to you here, what I wish you’d say to me too. Please.Listen. We can change things. Here. Read more

2021 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist  2021 Foreword Indies Finalist Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry The poems in The Rinehart Frames seek to exhaust the labyrinths of ekphrasis. By juxtaposing the character of Rinehart from Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man with the film 24 Frames by Abbas Kiarostami, the poems leap into secondary histories, spaces, and languages that encompass a collective yet varied consciousness of being. Cheswayo Mphanza’s collection questions the boundaries of diaspora and narrative through a tethering of voices and forms that infringe on monolithic categorizations of Blackness and what can be intersected with it. The poems continue the conversations of the infinite possibilities of the imagination to dabble in, with, and out of history. Read more

Indulge in these excerpts, penned by Garry Darnelle. Narrating his life, and some of the moments that have shaped the man you see today. This book is a compilation of poems, short stories and monologues. All personal to him, but relatable to most. A compilation of trials and tribulations...about maneuvering through life, and ultimately figuring things out. At 25, for a lot of us, that's when things begin to click. 25 to Life is a mindset. About taking risks, but not taking things for granted. Living in the moment. As if tomorrow was the first day of a 25 to Life sentence. What would your story be? These are some of his. Read more

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How would you live your life if you understood that every scar, trauma, or suffering can make you stronger and greater?Rosemary Esehagu, who has studied psychology and medicine, has seen the damaging effects of having people's abuse or trauma speak for them. In her memoir, Out of the Cocoon: The Journey to Becoming, she shares her story of posttraumatic growth and offers a radical perspective on abuse. Despite encountering abuse as a child and racism and trauma when she immigrated to the US as a teenager, she has found her place and is living her purpose. She uses prose and poetry to express that we can overpower and repurpose others' harmful actions.There is a better way of living after trauma...This is a must-read ...-Vanessa Bridges, Ph.D., author of Changing the Way You ChangeA profound journey of resilience, "Out of the Cocoon" is a soaring legacy of healing, strength, and the triumph of light.-Claudia Almendoza Alzraa, Reedsy Read more

How was Abraham Sutzkever, the most famous Yiddish poet to survive the ghettos of Europe, inspired by an invitation to speak in South Africa? How did he transform his travels into a celebration of the creative impulse at a moment when Yiddish literature was saturated with memory and mourning? Elephants by Night offers a timeless meditation on the intersection of place, memory, and renewal. Read more

Justice calls is the voice of an African American Man expressing his feelings of what it is like to live the life of a African American male. From heartache to cries for equality these short passages tell of a long built up cry for true freedom and respect as a individual. Read more

It is the intention of the author to shape the future of poetry. In his idiosyncrasy, poetry should not only take the form of lines and stanzas but also designs/styles of different forms. Poets should be able to depict whatever image they deem fit in their piece, provided these images give meaning. Besides, every single poem - no matter the context or design - should be characterised by literary devices or figures of speech. As a pioneer, the poet has put together a collection of 1,000 poems, using oceans of images, designs and brands. Read more

"My steps still walk through SevilleUp and down Levies streetSearching for my wife, burnedIn front of the churchAs I was returning from Granada.My steps still tread over the streetsDay and night, they never partFrom the pavements in which only my steps exist.My steps still brand Seville,Its limits and frontiersIts sky and riverIts tongue and words.And, when I fall into a torrent of laughterIt is because I am madCrazed by the past, dementedFrom thoughts, derangedFrom love."Mois Benarroch has been awarded with the Yehuda Amichay poetry prize in 2012 and the Jacqueline Kahanoff prize in 2021. "Mois Benarroch is the most important mediterranean and sephardi writer in Israel." Prof. Habiba Pdaya. Haaretz. Read more