That first sentence - "scythe" by Sodïq Oyèkànmí
BogiReads brings you the daily speculative reading recommendation of editor Bogi Takács.
Today's recommendation -
Author: Sodïq Oyèkànmí
Title: “scythe”
Venue: Haven, August 2023 (eds. Leon Perniciaro, TJ Price, Danai Christopoulou, Ash Okada)
Type: Poem – Under 50 lines
Themes: Orishas, dreams, multiverse
Where to read: Text free online
That first line, that line break! (You’ll just have to click through and read it.) I don’t know if this technically qualifies as enjambment, because the first line makes sense without the first word of the second line, it’s just that the meaning changes entirely. Brilliant.
The poem doesn’t go downhill from there but manages to maintain the momentum. I loved the combination of the speculative (but is it really?) and the spiritual.
I went and read more from Oyèkànmí and I’ll just say that there will be more in the recommendation series :) G-d willing we’ll get there. I need to schedule it wayyy ahead because I’m trying not to do author repeats in 3 months, even if some authors I could plaster your walls with :p
See you soon,
Bogi.