Honeysuckle Me by Carla M. Cherry [Book Review]
On the back cover of Honeysuckle Me by Carla M. Cherry, the poetry within is described as “sustenance and salve for the soul” — and it is. Cherry pulls you in close to her body as well as her mind.
Honey, suckle me. Let me fill my mouth with you. / Let your fingers do that red light in the basement, / last song, / slow drag / down my spine, backs of thighs, knees, calves.” (from “Midnight Mischief“)
This is a 53-page feast ready to feed to full satisfaction the spirit, the Self, and the American collective — “to an eight-count beat” (from The Way). Cherry’s flavorful poetry points to the physical and spiritual hunger that exists in all of us — a hunger being denied. If the political climate has turned you off and you’re feeling like Ilana Glazer in Broad City’s “Witches” episode, Cherry’s poetry will turn you on again without avoiding the issues.
Her words are sensuous and healing — with political bite. Cherry speaks to both the individual and an entire country denying its diverse depths. She manages to create a vibrant place of passion in the midst of division.
I’m used to white noise drowning out black pain” (from “Sister to Sister”)
The first two-thirds of the book juices up the reader’s senses before serving up raw the final poem, a 10-part piece titled “Blood and Soil.” This poem is an epic referential reminder of what people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community have done for the United States of America. Only the culturally comatose wouldn’t be woke by the end of Part IV. This finale puts Honeysuckle Me on my list of books I would love to read to Congress during a filibuster.
Cherry, an English teacher and poet from New York City, is currently working on two more poetry books. Her other published works include: Gnat Feathers and Butterfly Wings (2008) and Thirty Dollars and a Bowl of Soup (2017) as well as individual pieces in publications such as Anderbo, For Harriet, Obscura, Dissident Voice, Random Sample Review, Eunoia Review, Bop Dead City, MemoryHouse Magazine, Down in The Dirt, In Between Hangovers, Street Light Press, Picaroon Poetry, and Firefly Magazine.
Check out her books and author page on Amazon and connect with her on Instagram and Twitter.
I would recommend her work to anyone and know a lot of people who’d be interested in seeing more of her work. The only thing I could have done without were the images among the poems; the words were vivid enough on their own and the printing quality wasn’t great.
If you’re intrigued, look for our upcoming review of Thirty Dollars and a Bowl of Soup (2017).
