Under a Soprano Sky

Reading Sonia Sanchez, is like running free with your home-girls on a Saturday evening, dressed to the nines, a purse full of money and no particular place to go; except the desire to just get out of the damn house and paint the town red! I first encountered Sanchez about five or more years ago after seeing the movie Lovejones staring Nia Long and Larenz Tate. There's a scene in the movie where Nia recites one of Sanchez's pieces "Poem #3." I gather up each sound you left behind and stretch them on our bed each nite I breathe you and become high. I remember the fact that it was poetry caused me to run and look Sonia up to gather more information about her work. I read a couple of her pieces and of course at that time I didn't feel that there was anything special about her work so I bypassed her until about a year ago I ran across the same piece and this time I was caught. I can never fully explain what or why I was captured, but from that day forward I became a semi-supporter of her work. I've spent much time creating my own poetic pieces and dipping into the poetic mist every now and then to pay homage to these greats, but not too much, until I happened across this new collection of pieces by Sanchez entitled Under a Soprano Sky. "haiku (for the police on osage ave)" tickled my fancy right off the bat. For some particular reason I didn't bother to start at the beginning of the book, preferring instead to just thumb through it and read wherever my eyes fell. This piece touches something inside of me as far as imagery/imagination is concerned and word usage. they came eating their own mouths orgiastic teeth smiling crucifixions I won't bother getting in depth with this jank other than to say that the imagery birthed within my head after reading a line like "own mouths orgiastic teeth / smiling crucifixions" is priceless. There is a simplicity that Sanchez has that never ceases to amaze me. I find myself having the urge to jump up and down at certain turns of phrases or lines that appear scattered throughout her work. To take something as simple as police cruising up and down a street in the neighborhood, seemingly, looking for a reason to stop someone or anything else; though the action itself is simple and of no importance to us, the way she paints it here in just 17 syllables gives a new life and perception to the situation. "3x3 Carl: a Black man Speaks" is next in my choice of pieces that engaged my attention. Along with her ability for simplistic genius is her charming way of stating the truth; whether it be concerning lost love or domestic abuse, there isn't any hedging or for that matter shunning from these subjects, instead Sanchez tackles them with gusto giving us pieces like this. She has the ability to pull me in and persuade me to agree with everything written down to the last word. There wasn't just one line in this pi

"Under a Soprano Sky" is indeed food for thought. In this collection, Sanchez speaks on a variety of subjects, ranging from political to personal. She captures her reader with a brilliant display of verbal acrobatics, and uses her linguistic prowess to minister to her audience on (arguably) the most powerful of human emotions - love, anger and fear. There is quite a variety of poetry in this collection, ranging from poems that read like prose, to haiku. The wide variety of subjects and styles contained in "Under a Soprano Sky" showcase Ms. Sanchez's skills quite well. Of all the Sanchez works that I have read to date, this is by far the most colorful, compelling and comprehensive of them all. So, whether you are have been a fan of Sanchez's for years and are familiar with a number of her works, or you are looking for your first Sanchez reader, "Under a Soprano Sky" is an excellent choice.

"Under a Soprano Sky" is indeed food for thought. In this collection, Sanchez speaks on a variety of subjects, ranging from political to personal. She captures her reader with a brilliant display of verbal acrobatics, and uses her linguistic prowess to minister to her audience on (arguably) the most powerful of human emotions - love, anger and fear. There is quite a variety of poetry in this collection, ranging from poems that read like prose, to haiku. The wide variety of subjects and styles contained in "Under a Soprano Sky" showcase Ms. Sanchez's skills quite well. . Of all the Sanchez works that I have read to date, this is by far the most colorful, compelling and comprehensive of them all. So, whether you are have been a fan of Sanchez's for years and are familiar with a number of her works, or you are looking for your first Sanchez reader, "Under a Soprano Sky" is an excellent choice.