TITLE: At War With Love
GENRE: Poetry
AUTHOR: Christtie Jay
PUBLISHER: Createspace
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2017
NUMBER OF PAGES: 204
ISBN: 978-1973791195
REVIEWER: Shoola Oyindamola
I admire how many young poets of this century that publish their books, write in a way that cater to a reader’s understanding. Their poetry is not difficult for the sake of “poetic fashion” yet it conveys messages that are authentic and very relative to human experiences.
With “At War With Love” we experience a woman’s healing through self-discovery. We meet a human who has the strength and courage to love in a limitless way, irrespective of past and unfavorable experiences.
This is a public reclamation of a woman’s desire; an attitude and way of life that has been lost to many demands from women about how they should love only what has been predetermined by our cultures. Christtie’s poetry breaks cultural boundaries concerning women without shame.
One of my favorite poems in this book is on page 62. Christtie writes,
“Wind first,
Drizzles next,
Rain and then storm.
Take your time,
You’re becoming.”
It reminds me of Mark Zuckerberg’s words in a speech that he gave at Harvard University. He said; “No idea starts out fully formed.” This concept applies to human development. It is necessary to be patient with one’s growth and transformation while concurrently loving one’s self in the process.
Without doubt, Christtie Jay is a very brilliant and unique writer. She proves that there is so much to learn about love in the midst of pain. She portrays self-love and worth in such a way that even the grains of sand that has been stumped by the soles of bloody feet and kicked to be lost in the spaces of our atmosphere will find something to value in their existence. Christtie’s words will keep many people alive.
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Christtie’s honesty so pleases me and she translates ordinary events in thought provoking ways. To her, poetry is beyond confessing words on pages, it is an attempt to thrive and the desire for survival.
In the prologue of “At War With Love” Christtie writes,
“Suicide is different for people.
Some people dial 911,
Others like me,
Just write poems.”
I also admire the way Christtie portrayed her feminist ideas. She is brave, daring, and unapologetic in the way she demands for respect for women. On page 131, Christtie writes,
“I am not the woman of your dreams.
I will not be reduced to an imagination,
I am a being.”
The title; “At War With Love” crowns the poems in this collection. It is about an individual that is at war to fight pain, with love, as a sword and as a shield.
I admire this book very much, Kudos to Christtie Jay.
