A quick read at barely 80 pages. And a tough one, for me. As a northern small town-raised white man, hard to relate to Alice Walker's inner thoughts so nakedly stated in these poems. But then there was this -

"My father and mother both / used to warn me / that 'a whistling woman and a crowing / hen would surely come to no good end' ..." ("Mississippi Winter IV")

And I remember my mother reciting that same verse, and, like Walker, she chose to "whistle like a woman undaunted."

And there was also her excitement at an upcoming visit, and preparations made, in "My Daughter Is Coming!" A pretty universal experience for older folks.

And "" Poem at Thirty-nine" is about a father - " How I miss my father," who taught her to tell the truth, thrift, and cooking

"He would have grown / to admire / the woman I've become: / cooking, writing, chopping wood, / staring into the fire."

But then there's that steely, strange dedication to her ancestors, including a "white great-great grandfather ... / whose only remembered act / is that he raped / A child: / my great-great grandmother, / who bore his son, / my great grandfather, / when she was eleven"

Chilling, yes. And courageous. And nearly inconceivable to this old white man.

This is a book filled with joy and pain, life and living. And certainly worth your time. HORSES MAKE A LANDSCAPE LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL (a quote from Lame Deer) is a long title for a short book. I rarely read poems, but I liked these. Highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett,author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER ( )

The poems in this collection are generally short with fairly short lines. Many poems provide insights into the African-American experience or reflect on events of the 1960s and 1970s. I found the poetry enjoyable. ( )

most of these were middle of the road for me, but there were a few standouts. in particular her poem "Well." was outstanding. i'd like to read more of her poetry but i think i might just be a bigger fan of her novels.

from "Well.":

"But what a pity
that
the poet
the priest
and the revolution
never seem
to arrive
for the black woman,
herself." ( )

She's a wonderful poet. So raw and radical. You should read this. ( )

More wonderful words from Walker, whose prose manages to be more poetic than many a novel. ( )