I’m sick of surviving and living like this. ”An at will employee just another nobody in the system An at will employee just another supposed victim.”
October 29, 2019 KWIYET (QUIET) WIZDOM (WISDOM) VOLUME TRILOGY BY TONY KWAME ANSAH JR A REVIEW BY ROGER G LEWIS.
KWIYET (QUIET) WIZDOM (WISDOM) VOLUME TRILOGY
BY TONY KWAME ANSAH JR
A REVIEW BY ROGER G LEWIS
In Writing this review I have sought to reflect first impressions, a consideration of the whole upon reflection on further reading and to highlight strong phrasing which sums up the main themes in the collection. I think the Poet Tony Kwame Ansah Jr in his own ‘about’ section tells us something about who he is, the poetry tells us so much more of our own lives and not just his own.
About the Author
The author (Tony Kwame Ansah Jr) is a son, a husband, an uncle, and a father with aspirations to improve current circumstances. Tony was born and raised in Rhode Island, USA, however, his ancestry is from Ghana. Also, he is a student of World History and Politics and a freelance writer of poetry. Lastly, Tony is a human interested in social service and public administration, which
stems from his profession and MPA degree
https://poetryarchive.org/poem/different-history/
A Different History
by Sujata Bhatt
EMPIRE FREEDOM HISTORY LANGUAGE POLITICS
The Collection is a combination of half-finished thoughts and themes and completed and accomplished poetry. The first read-through for this reader identified three stand-out pieces that represent fairly the thoughts feelings and observations in the Other titles,
Employ Pressure, Straight as they come & Ghanaian American articulates the full range of complex problems, hope sadness, and frustration tackled by the collection as a whole.
On the first read through the poem Married and Lonely so strongly articulated a female voice that I wondered if the poet was a Woman. On the first read-through, I was left with a strong impression of the poet’s complex understanding of the Subject-Object dichotomy with a full understanding and empathy for the Otherness of the human condition. I was keen to re-read and reflect in more depth.
In the poem, I am Sick of surviving like this I was particularly struck by this phrase.
I’m sick of surviving and living like this.
”An at will employee just another nobody in the system
An at will employee just another supposed victim.”
For the second reading, I decided to concentrate on what, for me were, the, more complete poems and having digested the Fragmented ideas in the Explanatory note-type verses and plain verse texts. With this context, I heard the poet’s voice and feelings in the more polished or self-contained poems.
I felt that the poet could pay some attention to the ordering of the poems, with the explanatory and motivational pieces perhaps being the first to give a context for the self-contained pieces. As a whole the themes come out of, Separation, Economic alienation, striving for recognition and economic independence, Breaking out of constraining narratives, and the pain and frustrations of parting and remaining in communication.
The themes of race, otherness, and duality of Identities are very ably and poignantly expressed in Ghanaian America, so much so that I felt Sujata Bhatt’s A Different History would be a fitting introduction to the themes embedded in This work.
Other themes react and object to the Atomisation of individuals and tackle the questions of ego and Self, I particularly like the phrase ‘Quarrelsome egos can’t go beyond past traumas” in Married and Lonely.
The Poet tells us that Spoken word poetry and the feature Film Slam reconciled him to Words as an ally rather than a mistrusted foe. Spoken Word when on the page can be assisted by attention to stanza and phrasing. Line editing to emphasize the Spoken word poet’s voice, to delineate: Pace, Rhythm, and Flow.
For Example.
Strategic Tactics of Survival.
Step out of the matrix, Enter into phoenix.
At the end of the tunnel lies true autonomy,
to build a genuine economy full of wealth
and, value beyond subordination.
Which is part of the indoctrination?
force-fed without knowledge of the recipient,
who is brainwashed to drink watered-down education
and information, in order to become ignorant.
Controlled by strategic tactics of recessive survivalist…
New Year’s Detox could benefit from a similar treatment placing paragraphs into sentences and stanzas to help the Reader with the intended rhythm pace and emphasis. This, of course, is relevant only where spoken word poets wish to be read as well as heard.
This idea is ably summarised in the poets’ own words.
Go With Flow.
´´I’m still standing above the grammar
Because poetry allows for stanzas
And double entendre”
I like this poem again as an explanation of the poets’ gratitude to the outlet poetry and words give to what is felt and thought and demands outward expression.
The ordering of the collection for me meant that the 4 introductory poems gave only a small hint of the depth of thought and feeling to come. This is first delivered with the Strategic Tactics of Survival poem.
”There’s more to the puzzle than your eyes can and don’t see
Everybody has a story better than reality tv
This is that person, place, or thing we can all feel
Because it’s that person, place, or thing we can call real”.
Straight as They Come is a primer for the deeper meanings and tensions the poet experiences in otherness in a multiplex culture full of contradictions. In his own words.
´´playing bailey with words
To serve to the people like they were hors d’oeuvres”.
Again the spoken word rhythm being very strong allows the reader used to spoken word to read yet again the intended emphasis would be assisted in the second half of the poem with either punctuation or phrasing into lines. Straight as they come is difficult to read, I would love though to hear the poet perform the piece.
In self-defense. Delivers a body blow challenging complacent assumptions about identity and assumed existence in modern societal pigeonholes.
”I stand above and oversee above surface and see through 2 faces of the bipolar mask costumes
life isn’t a video game nor is it Halloween
unless you’re a living and breathing zombie
Lucifer worshipper not me”
Manmade Hypothesis, continues the strong and powerful feelings that Critical Thinking and questioning narratives can liberate in personal consciousness
”I was force fed and spoon fed information and so called education that contained very little
knowledge or wisdom.”
My Legacy.
Personal motivation, In the ordering of the work this poem for my tastes would come after page 1.
Offspring Gifts.
See above
Testimony.
Subject/ Object, I, me, they, them, us, those.? These are all apparent here but of course, one borrows meaning from the rest of the collection which presents a challenge for the shorter poems which seem fragmented when read in isolation.
Married and Lonely.
I like the phrase and context for which it is deployed in this poem.
´´”Quarrelsome egos can’t go beyond past traumas”.
”Although it takes 2 to tangle, it also takes 2 to dismantle and switch from compatible to
incompatible because love and affection is not tangible.”
Turmoil.
Stanzas? Would aid the reading of this poem
Ghanaian American
”What a complex identity to have as a member of civil society.
How can one person be all of the above?
One color or race and two nationalities altogether.
All of these social constructs place people out of the proper place they belong in.”
Quiet Storm
Similar to Manmade Hypothesis problematical stereo types?
Our Ancestors
”Pour your soul into the globe and see an ocean full of blood overflowing nonstop to the rhythm
of departed kings and queens.
Human beings like you and I are biological ancestors; our brothers and sisters, mothers and
fathers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles of the most high.
Third eye intelligent, militant, heaven sent with good intent.
Positive energy inside nothing to hide but pride and joy for this baby boy who grew up to be a
man with wisdom, knowledge to understand the difference between today versus yesterday
versions of history.
The good, the bad, the ugly deeds did to everybody’s ancestry including my dead and living
family.”
Dial and log it in on different frequencies
”One biological father
Versus a digital father
Who dialogues long distance
Just to get another chance.’
The themes and some of the phrasing are very pleasing to my tastes in poetical expression. The collection as a whole does need some further thought as to ordering and also as to layout to give the poet’s intended flow and rhythm schemes to the reader who wishes to read in the poet’s voice.
I have enjoyed reading the collection and would certainly look forward to reading more of Tony´s poetry I would also definitely go to a reading to hear with my ears the voice which has come through to me from the written page.
”So am I wrong to say that I’m a human being before anything else and didn’t know any of these
categories or classifications until I was exposed to the world we lived in yesterday and live in
today and must associate and attach myself with an identity or group.
Otherwise, I’ll look like an outcast living in a manmade cast system that’s before and beyond
me.
Regardless, I know what I am and what I’ll be.
Thus I am and I be forever human.”
Hi Tony, Thanks, I think I have simultaneous roles in my profiles which is like Our Queen Elizabeth who has official and real birthdays. It’s nice to hear from you I hope you are still making time to Write poetry I have recorded some of mine. https://longhairedmusings.wordpress.com/2019/10/28/some-of-my-poems-thethreepamphleteers-iabato-grubstreetjournal-thethreepamphlateers-financialeyes-davidgolemxiv-wiki_ballot-joeblob20/ I have been working hard with my New Publishing idea for Web 3 the past 6 months or so I will be sending links to everyone when it is up and live.
https://start.me/p/1kOa8Y/hypatias-eyebrowser
the idea is to have a news stall of multimedia publishing products within a browser that links it all together and into the Web. https://longhairedmusings.wordpress.com/2019/10/27/moabs-mother-of-all-bumper-stickers-putnam-on-throwing-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater-web-3-its-really-a-p2p-end-to-end-encryption-thang/ Our exchange of reviews of our poetry books was a very powerful experience for me, and that we have kept in touch and I do think of your poems often. It is that sort of connection that I hope can connect writers and readers and readers to readers and so forth in a multi-dimensional multimedia conversation. Very nice to hear from you and keep in touch, With best wishes, Roger.
https://longhairedmusings.wordpress.com/2017/09/21/philosoetry-by-roger-lewis/
September 21, 2017
" PHILOSOETRY " BY ROGER LEWIS
“My first and lasting reaction to your poems was, Wonderful. Here is a poet who can engage with the pressing and vital concerns of our times. As did Blake in his time. While others were still trilling away about rural idylls and flute-playing shepherds Blake took those forms and images and confronted the brutalities of his age with an art renewed. In his way, Roger is doing the same.” David Malone, Film Maker Author and writer of the Golem Xiv blog
Read it for free on kindle on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Roger-Lewis/e/B01LZSK7F7/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
A search for reality and self, leaving behind ego and examining the real world encountered anew. Roger Lewis provides a commentary on a Journey from a millionaire to not so starving poet. From a Landed Estate and jet-set lifestyle to that of a Self Sufficient homesteader and stay-at-home Dad in Sweden. Self-described recovering multi-millionaire and Born-again tree Hugger A glimpse into one man’s pursuit of consciousness in the age of EGO.
By Realistic Poetry International
Sep 13, 2016
Reviewer: Kwame Ansah Jr Review: First of all, I have a short attention span but was able to read through these poems with ease. I must say that I do have a bias toward this type of poetry because I’m very much in tune with politics and economics. Thus, the social, political, and economic commentary made throughout this book touched close to home and struck a chord with me. Furthermore, I acknowledged and enjoyed the brief descriptions of each poem as well as the quotes included throughout the book. Job well done Roger Lewis!