Another anthology of poetry. In truth, I may be reading a few more in the next few weeks as they are quick and they allow me to put my feet down on the books that I’ve been meaning to read, reread, and complete.
Customary warning: This is a reminder that these are my personal opinions. My thoughts and feelings are not your thoughts and feelings. I may not always be the target audience for a book; sometimes I am. If I do not like a book, that doesn’t mean you’ll dislike it. If I love a book or simply like a book, you may hate it. Take everything I say with this knowledge. If it sounds interesting to you despite what I’ve said, then go ahead and read it. You’ll only know you like something if you read it yourself.
That being said… Spoilers ahead.
2Fish by Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo
Synopsis From The Book
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo has developed and refined a method of emoting through writing. 2Fish is a collection of intimate poems (and a few short stories) written by Chilombo from adolescence to adulthood, in no particular order. This book offers her thoughts in their most raw and honest form taken directly from a collection of notebooks she has kept since age 12.
Initial Thoughts Before Reading:
My sister asked me if I wanted to read poetry with her, saying that she wanted to read milk and honey. I said sure and we decided on this book of poems. I have heard many good things about this collection so I have a bit of existing expectations.
Initial Thoughts After Reading:
Deep contemplation and thought. I didn’t necessarily have a overt reaction to the poems but a deep one. Rather than a burst of raw emotion that even filled my eyes this one was like a swell reminding me times and things I have said to my self, details that I remember that I have thought about. It was more, in essence, about the vastness of the connectivity that I felt towards the subjects.
What I Liked:
The rawness of some of the poems by being presented in her handwriting.
The use of short stories
The use of rhyme and forms (odes, haiku, etc.)
The presentation, and ultimately where the name comes from.
I felt like on a wheel moving through the pages in no particular time line, but like an onion slowly learning more as you go on. As you learn, you realize there is so much more that you do not know.
What I Would Have Liked or Changed:
N/A
Time Taken To Read
45min*
*represents the time I took to research a few references that I did not measure in recording time for the book
Rating: 5/5
Notable Poems/Quotes:
5Fish pg15
7Fish pg20
14Fish pg 29
23Fish pg 46
28Fish pg 56
30Fish pg62
38Fish pg 78
“we don’t die, we multiply/to infinity and beyond” pg 88
64Fish pg 130
69Fish
Marlena Marie 
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