Lodestar by Nagueyalti Warren

All of us begin our day with a prayer to Almighty.  So Nagueyalti’s words struck me as I read the lines,  “She prayed out loud to be honest, decent, pure, innocent but prayer, she knew was the heart felt longing of her soul” as in Prayer. 

Readers, this book is synonymous to the Writer’s love for nature.  You will love the lines, “Miss sunrise comes cracking her whip through tall pines, a fowl choir serenades the new day.  New day mornings cannot change nature Ole Miss’s cracking whip or cotton flowers blooming” as in A Nature Poem, and in Snapshots narrating childhood memories of the strawberry season, “When dinner’s done, we really have fun sharing our favorite thing bowls of glorious golden strawberry cobbler from a great black-iron pan  bubbling bright red juices”.  Some more worth reading poems on nature are Sunflower, and Shadows on the Hills. 

The Writer though has taken-up rather contrasting topics of war, racism, and battle for freedom to feature in this book.  Some wonderful penning by the Writer will definitely leave the Readers mesmerized, viz- 

In All in together March 2020,  “In this country we are not all in this together and I am tired of hearing it repeated.  We are the ‘shit-hole’ country now!” 

In After Orlando, “Only we can transmute hate to love from straight and narrow to a wide-open queer world of peace joy power” where the Writer expresses the need for world peace. 

Mississippi Woods, “If woods could talk wonder what would they say would they give away dark secrets, tell of night murders by Knights in white sheets or hounds chasing, fleeing, freedom-bound men?” 

“Araminta Ross little brown baby, enslaved almost two hundred years ago, who knew you had be warrior, you may be? You realized people thought you were slow.  You followed the North Star and published it spoke of striking the first blow for freedom, asked what to the slave is the 4th of July in Haiti you saw Africa’s spirit, Ambassador: liberty and wisdom, your Afro style took black folk years to try” in Dear Harriet 

In Deep River, “Who wants to cross over when it’s all the same?  Only thing changing is the name. Tenn a see klan on both sides and North and South of your gaping river mouth.  Deep, muddy/bloody, silent, guilty river, deep river, sinful river, where does one cross over into Canaan Land?” 

“Hog killing time was almost as horrendous as the midnight Sheriff Butts drug Big Black River fishing out a huge green/gray whale, I thought” as in Killing Winter. 

In From George (1973-2020), “I am surprised I’d rather be alive, see my children grow but it’s nice to know, the world won’t let my murder go, no jive, I appreciate what your protests show”. 

Dear Isabella, “Once you saw light, knew what yours was to do, walk the talk, spread words, speak truth to power, many heard you, your reputation grew giving women power taking that hour, standing tall before all claiming freedom, Sojourner Truth’s spirit inspired wisdom”. 

Stripes and Stars, “They say good things about her girl her mother knows are lies.  She meets her daughter’s stare in the scrubbing of the childhood toy, brown eyes full of wonder, brown skin gone ash, Zebra! The mother cries”. 

I liked your unique style of writing Parchment; each carefully chosen word one below the other giving meaning to the poem. 

Readers, please go through her poem, The One, “I’m the one walked the seven hills in Cincinnati, I’m seven times seven to the power of seventy, future is the palm of my hand”.  You will like the way the numbers one and seven are woven in the poem.  This is just awesome.  To the African American student who said she didn’t connect with Africa apart from the color of her skin.  What a befitting reply it is which is worth reading.  My Son Jay, in the Eighties, where she mourns death of her beloved Song and My Brother Jay, A Trilogy are damn good. 

Congratulations, Nagueyalti that some of your writings have appeared in various publications, and we hope to see many more in the near future.  Reading this book was an altogether a different experience because of the topics chosen.  As I sign off, I sincerely wish this book travels across continents and garners all fame and recognition and brings glory to the Writer who has taken painstaking efforts in expressing thoughts on social issues. 

Regards,

 Shubhaangi Kundalkar

Author-In Search of Life