Kissing Caskets, Mahogany L Browne

you love too much

you sing too much

you laugh too much

so loud and bright stop

it's like you challenging the world

it's almost like the world knows

you ain't never been worn against

nothing real

~ II. Then (maternal advice) from Kissing Caskets By Mahogany L. Browne

Mahogany L. Browne...where have you been all my life?

I definitely feel late to the party, but I am so glad that I found this gifted poet. The voice behind each line is so authentic, it's like your thoughts are being read aloud or better, she's capturing the depth, beauty and emotions of Black women in the pages in an honest and relatable way.

In comparison to Lucille Clifton, who I reviewed earlier this week, Mahogany L. Browne's gift is in the complexity of meaning, using simplicity of words. She makes you flex your mind more in the reflection of your feelings as opposed to stumping you with the definition of phrases. And presents the prose as if she were intimately connected to you.