Title: Reports from the Soul
Author: Robbin White
Publisher: Brilliant Books Literary
ISBN: 979-8889453970
Pages: 92
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Ephantus M.
Pacific Book Review
Reports from the Soul is a set of vignettes and a worthy composition of poems written by Robin White. The entries, thirty-eight in total, are inspired by the author’s upbringing, and showcase the pleasures and discomforts of humanity, offering a fresh salve of self-acceptance and affirmation. These brilliant poems’ overarching themes surround the subjects of race, racism, identity, family, and cultural awareness – but go further and soar beyond these topics invoking readers to reflect, endure, and even understand.
For the most part, rhyme is as good as reason, as the author invites us to see the world through her lenses, eventually altering our outlook on the diversity of the human race. Some poems prompt us to reflect on Black History such as in the title “Our History” going back to a time in space when the continent of Africa was invaded for enslavement purposes. Elsewhere, the Black experience dominates in entries such as “Invisible Man” and “I Want to Live.” The poet speaks for many, regardless of race, whose voices have been gagged, and whose souls have a deep longing to be free, free from the structures that bind society, free from their limitations, and live a life of liberation. But even in these, it sparks the titles, and shines with resilience and hope. She employs free verse almost entirely with some entries being long and others short, but both forms deliver their messages remarkably.
White endeavors to do more than write poetry; delivering life-changing poetry rather than the usual rhetoric meant for simple escapist thrill present in modern times. Evocative, conversational, and embedded with an array of emotions, Reports from the Soul serves as an aperture for conveying deep yearnings, losses, and hopes. Most of these poems are multifaceted and complex, and rightly so, as the issues discussed here are challenging and sensitive but necessary. Robin White is onto something here and is a quintessential voice in America today. Her powerful anthology is essential and worth reading.
