Iyamu’s verse adopts a rhythmic, trance-like cadence that at times obscures meaning but nevertheless amplifies the voices of those she seeks to champion: the marginalized, the oppressed, and even the voiceless flora and fauna whose fates remain mere collateral damage. Her poems, both a plea and a protest, demand equality in a world "first built so only the privileged could rise." Freedom, or the lack thereof, underpins much of Iyamu's work. In painful, contemplative lines—“What does it give to be at peace? / Your house, your home, your walls, your fears”—she gently exposes the irony of maintaining "peace" through walls and weapons that divide rather than unite. Her regard for God as "God," "Allah," or "Jah" subtly critiques the senseless competition between cultures and nations for supremacy.
For all its occasional ambiguities, *Poetry in Eden* confronts, with passion and empathy, the destructive energy humans impose on the world: "But the very root / I cannot compute / What we have done to / The lands we say we love." This same energy, Iyamu suggests, shatters identity and a sense of belonging. At its core, this collection aims to dismantle self-constructed walls, urging readers to rediscover their roots, reclaim their faith, and let the "voices of a shared plight...of a shared right to live" finally be upheld.
Takeaway: Tender, empowering poetry of identity, peace, and collective healing
Comparable Titles: Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise, Kwame Alexander’s Light for the World to See.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A
