NO GREATER MYSTERY THAN THE EYES OF THE SOUL
Reviewed by Guy A. Sims
These dudes want to bring you down
They say hurtful things
To make you feel like a clown
Demeaning others to boost their self-esteem
Coward
Where are your balls?
~Words Can’t Break Me
The words and sentiment of poetess Nerrissa Jenkins flow like water over treacherous yet familiar terrain. Her collection, Mysterious Me (2014), moves and surrounds with strength, passion, thoughtfulness, and sensuality. Sometimes times the words invite you in to stroke your sensibilities. Other times they gang up on you to pummel mind into understanding the trials that exist in forgotten communities. There are poems lying bare on satiny blankets awaiting your arrival and with a simple stroke you’re captured. Mysterious Me also holds your hand as the lives of the everyday are illuminated into lives extraordinary. It is more than musings and reflections; it is an exploration of internal dimensions.
Mysterious Me is the first published work of native New Yorker Nerrissa Jenkins. This collection is a journey of expression, motivation, and inspiration. It is more than a catalogue of traditional topics but a collection of life experiences: love, tragedy, strength, sorrow, self-esteem, and selflessness. What is also unique about Nerrissa Jenkins’ work is her homage to the lives and achievements of people and places in her life circle.
Nerissa is not afraid to show the ugly sides of unhealthy relationships when that’s all you have. The poem Infliction is a cry of pain and regret:
The phone rang at 3 am
“Open the door”
He said
They were standing there him and her
I let them in
We did our thing
Her observations are kept ‘real’; checking the fake and the phony when presented.
He isn’t a thug
He walked around here with
His pants below his butt
He walked around pretending to be tough
But when he became cuffed
He was calling all of us
~Hard Headed
Nerrissa also shares her high praise for unsung heroes and those who struggle everyday to simply make a way.
Cocolita has her days
Of course
She’s overworked
Lack of sleep
A caring mother
But
She’s DOPE
~ Cocolita
The poetic style moves effortlessly from expressions of personal experience to the casual observed. Each section is composed of common themed stanzas which keeps the reader engaged; building a better understanding of the woman, the writer, the poet. The works speak to everyday life from the perspective of a mature, strong, cautious, caring, and straightforward woman. Mysterious Me is not to be rushed. It demands time for the words and meaning to take hold in the mind and spirit. Take your time and you will find out that Under every hood is a mysterious woman.
To secure your copy of Mysterious Me, visit http://www.iselfexpress.com
Guy A. Sims is the author of the novel, Living Just A Little, and the crime novella, The Cold Hard Cases of Duke Denim. He is also the head writer of the Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline comic book series and the forthcoming Brotherman graphic novel, Revelation. BCEPressworks.com
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