I Read Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth, So I Wrote About It

Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth

A collection of poems by Warsan Shire

I was in a book store and had to make the hardest choice any book lover... poetry lover who also happens to be a black woman ever had to make in the history of the WORLD.

I was frozen for a good 20 minutes, contemplating. I could only pick one and I want them ALL. I have BEEN wanting them all!

My instinct picked Warsan and I was conflicted at first because it was the thinnest book there. But I've BEEN wanting this book for the longest time. I've read excerpts here and there and just knew that I needed more and here it finally was. In front of me. In it's PHYSICAL form. Did I really have a choice?

My only mistake with this collection was expecting any of the poems from Lemonade.

This was my fault because I knew exactly what this book was about but got overexcited. Warsan is a Kenyan born, Somali poet who lives in the UK. While adapting to a new culture, lifestyle and environment she started writing about what it's like to be refugee in this predicament and this is exactly what made her famous. None of the poems from Lemonade were in accordance to that theme. Once I realized AND got over that, I started enjoying the poems. As expected it is hauntingly beautiful, each poem written beautifully but I couldn't help but feel like a piece of jagged glass was cutting through the walls of my heart. I am not a refugee. I am not Muslim but Warsan threw me into her world, which I'm unsure if is as vivid to her as she writes it. We are unsure if she expedience all that she has written and it adds to the mystique and lack of boundaries of what is moral, just and fair. I came across one of her well known lines:

 "I have my mother's mouth and my fathers eyes; on my face they are still together"

And later I came across one of my personal favourites:  

"Boys are haram, don't ever forget that."

 My favourite poem in this collection is titled "Grandfather's Hand's".

 I quite enjoyed this book, I'd give it 4 stars out of 5. It's the Warsan I expected before I watched Lemonade. Personal but interpersonal at the same time, not seemingly sure where to draw those lines but knowing they are there. However, he poetry that Beyoncé recites is quite personal and I'm also very interested in reading that, on my own.

  She has another collection of work that's all hers called Her Blue Body so I'm buying that next to aquire the satisfaction I was left looking for after finishing Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth. 

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who doesn't like strenuous, gut wrenching poetry that leaves you more empty than full after you've read. Or of you feel like R 250 (I bought it in SA) is much for a book with 34 pages. If you're either/both of those people and you end up in the same situation, I'd suggest you pick Ijeoma or Upile, not Warsan. 

If you are unfamiliar with Warsan Shire's work then here is a link to some of her quotes.