Different Sides of the Same Coin: A Collection of Poems by Chyrel JacksonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Different Sides of the Same Coin by Chyrel Jackson and Lyris Wallace is a poetry collection written by two sisters. A unique feature about each poem is that they include the date, time, and/or year they were written. It was like walking back and forth through time with them.
Joy. Family. Faith. Love. Connection. Lost. These are the words I thought about I was reading these poems. These poems were deeply personal and unapologetic. In each section, you could feel the juxtaposition of love and heartbreak in the alternating sections. Through these poems, you are taken to so many different places from the cosmos and Camelot, to walking down the streets of the neighborhood and sitting in the family kitchen.
Both poets had distinct styles; you could tell when each of them was speaking. Even if the themes were very similar, and even featured some of the same people. Each of their structures were interesting to read. It was fun to see how the words were written on the page. I believe it would also have been just as much of a treat if we could hear the words being spoken aloud.
Objectively, I see such heart and soul in each poem, but subjectively, I had a harder time connecting to these poems personally, which is how I truly resonate with poetry. Regardless, I still enjoyed reading them. Some of my favorites were Bright Yellow Banana Peels, Round-Faced Girl, What’s the Word, Broken Reflections, and He Who Controls It.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this collection. While there wasn’t much for me personally, I know this book would resonate with others, especially other Black women.
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Thanks to Chyrel Jackson for the digital copy!
Liberation is Lit 