So, I came across this book, Salt., after reading a recommendation for it in the first poetry book I read, Milk and Honey. As a poet myself, I was intrigued as Salt. is also a poetry book. The simple style of the plain white cover with its four bold letters, S-a-l-t, placed at the bottom right corner of the book, a well- known minimalist aesthetic, complements the inside of the book.
This beautiful collection of work was written by African American poet Nayyirah Waheed. Not much is known about this brilliant author, except that she is a woman who demonstrates strong values and self-love. Nayyirah shares her many experiences in each poem, stating the importance of self-acceptance, identity, and womanhood. She also dives into the conflicts of being a person of color.
When I first received the book, I flew through the first few poems. I had to remind myself to slow down and take in every poem, to appreciate the individual worth of each line, and allow it to speak to my soul. These poems were made to shift your perception into something greater. The author writes from an honest place in her heart and I admire that deeply. It shows that there is a fire deep within. I was shocked by how powerful her words are; how she uses each word so carefully and meticulously to get her point across, sometimes in ten words or less.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry or just appreciates powerful reads. These poems will reach into your heart and help you place value to things that we tend to overlook. They will help you break through walls to discover a new sense of yourself and to move down the path towards acceptance.
“Even the small poems mean something
They are often whales in the bodies of tiny fish.”
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