“SistersRoc’N’Rhyme” a collection of Poems by Chyrel J. Jackson and Lyris D. Wallace
“SistersRoc’N’Rhyme” by Chyrel J. Jackson and Lyris D. Wallace
‘Call Us by Our Name
We are not slave
We are not coloured
We are not Negro
We are not Afro-American,
Black, or African American.
We are the nation that was scattered and peeled.’
When I read “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou it was a vivid and raw experience for me that kept scratching on my conscience for a long time. When I listened to her voice in “Still I Rise” I could feel the drumbeat in my heart. “SistersRoc’N’Rhyme” a collection of poems By Chyrel J. Jackson and Lyris D. Wallace brings back the same passion once again:
‘Don’t take down from who you are,
stand up, back straight,
and head held high.’
The poets passionately advocate for the crucial role of Black lives in the face of worldwide social and political bigotry. Most poems emphasise the need to raise voices against injustice and oppression. The messages that they endow are poignant and hardcore:
‘Back the blue
Defunding the police
All lives matter
Blue lives matter.’
They have stripped the naked prejudices of the political chessboard. Lines are punchy and strike straight in your gut without any space for pity.
Variegated themes ricochet throughout the pages of this collection. Family bonding, love, relationships, politics, and racism are all mixed and matched by these two sisters in their inky bubbles. They talk about unity, collective resistance, love, and self-dignity. Despite the constant laceration of racism, segregation, and injustice humanity must stay together in terms of humanity.
The book is punctuated with musical notes and references from singers and actors. There are numerous references to American music, painting, and the movie world. Here one can meet Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Jim Crow, Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Nina Simone, Paul McCartney and Nehemiah- a wide range of prominent musicians, directors and actors and actresses.
Alvina’s Verdict:
I am grateful to Chyrel and Lyris for acquainting me with a bunch of lovely lyrics as well as comedy strips: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, “Misled” by Kool and the Gang, “Borderline” by Madonna “We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel, “Some Like it Hot” etc.
If you are a music lover and cherish a great interest in the movie world, then this collection is going to add an extra layer to your nostalgia.
And when poetry creates a perfect mélange with music who can escape the thrill?
Last but not least I fancy Maya Angelou reading these poems aloud:
‘Recorders of the Words
My people don’t bow, take down,
nor are we easily broken.
We declare in jubilation
and defiance we’re God’s people too.
Black Culture lives
it’s breathing and thriving.
Let our voices ring loudly
in the ears of the Ancestors
as the rest of the nations
look on in silence.’
Read another collection “Different Sides of the Same Coin: A Collection of Poems” by Chyrel J. Jackson And Lyris D. Wallace
