How to Wake a Butterfly By Loic Ekinga

First and foremost thank you Odyssey Books and Loic Ekinga for the copy and the chance to make a review I understand that I would write my review about the book with honesty Life is a series of ups and downs love and loss endings and new beginnings This is the realization that came to my mind after reading How to Wake a Butterfly The free verse poems that are composed of carefully chosen words awakened sentimentality and acceptance of the verities of life that make Loic s poetry engaging Written during the lockdown Loic was compelled to reflect on his life and transformed his emotions into words I am thankful to have read his poems because it made me contemplate on my life as well My dreams heartaches laughter tears challenges and achievements came before my eyes What has become of me I appreciate this book so much as it is a reminder that despite life s pain there is beauty and freedom I just have to find it in myself struggle until I make peace with my past and my flaws emerge from the chrysalis of change and self discovery and fly like a butterfly Among the poems in the book the most memorable one for me is entitled Mutilate which is about his mother leaving them I ve found no comfort son. I left for you because sometimes To save the hand you cut off a finger The sacrifice of a mother is painful but necessary for the well being of her children In turn seeing the children turn into successful individuals is a great blessing I saw the video of his mother that Loic posted on Twitter on May 31 2021 In the video her mother s love and gratitude could be felt Also it goes without saying how proud she is for her son The day has come God blessed me a lot I got a copy of the book my son wrote When you read this you re gonna get tears on your eyes Loic s motherKudos to you Loic Ekinga for making your mama proud How to Wake a Butterfly This is a bite sized chapbook you could read in one sitting but best believe it will be a full course meal on the journey of growth and transformation delivered in vignettes of poetry. How do you wake a butterfly If you can I say Without bruising its wings on How To Wake A Butterfly Review How to Wake a Butterfly You re a deeply sensitive man I took those words and crushed themInside my palm until they turnedRed like wine I don t want to cry. She looked at me again and called meRiver Loic Ekinga How to Wake a Butterfly This assemblage of poems by Loic is in four parts Growing up as a boy and detachment from his parents Mental health struggles and grief as a man Denial healing and acceptance Love and finally thriving Under the first part Growing up he narrates the detachment that occurred in his family when his mother leaves to study and the silence of his father that became a language that he resonated with growing up but he is trying to unlearn over the years My father taught me to be a wielder of silenceA master of body languageHe taught me that questions don t always guarantee answersThat sometimes if you re silent enoughThe answer will come knocking. All responses and questions he sought as a child were responded to with silence and so finding his voice has been a pursuit that the protagonist in the book is learning to embrace and find His vulnerability and acceptance of his weaknesses was profoundly brought out in the designated poems under this section Growing up in Congo he narrates the games his friends and himself used to play informed by the violence and the constant deaths that surrounded them This clearly depicted the role that environment has to play in the upbringing of a child The second part concerning Mental health struggles and grief as a man the central character narrates the divorce of his parents and the effect it had on him and his siblings loss of his grandmother and the struggles to accept her death and the molestation he underwent as a growing adult his acceptance of the same In his poem My father a lesson in mourning like a man he continuously questions why his father never cried or wept at the loss of his friend but insisted on covering up his tears behind black shades and act macho while every feature in his body depicted his grief. I asked myselfWhy aren t you crying Why are you hiding Should I not cry too This pointed out the societal expectations that African culture especially has placed on boys to act macho in all circumstances regardless of their emotions and feelings Crying and vulnerability is seen as a sign of weakness on the part of the boys and so they have to internally deal with all these pressures and also be the same ones to hold the forte at the end of the day This expectation has caused a lot of masculine depression and mental health issues that are springing up rampantly and there is definitely need to have a change in the narrative in the way boys are raised as well as the gentleness with which both genders are considered Additionally concerning mental health and the third part of the anthology about denial healing and acceptance the protagonist narrates the ordeal of his molestation by an elderly woman under the poems Likasi which ultimately negatively affected his relationships and the desire for older women The denial he had in the initial stages in due course affected his healing and there was so much freedom in relaying his ordeal and letting it go once he accepted and recognized what was happening to him It s extremely wrong to be molestedAnd claim to be the man in chargeA lucky lucky boy Likasi because I m trying to get over itThe beauty about healing is that it gets easier once we accept and work towards deliberately relieving ourselves of the guilt shame and ache we felt during whatever struggle and the author stunningly expresses this vulnerability total healing and release He talks about healing and the need to be understood affirmed and hugged above all There s always relief that comes with hugs I for one are such a hugger so I definitely resonate with the authors anecdote for his healing and ache The last part is about love and moving on The protagonist finds love and narrates this in his last poems The beauty of the one he loves how they met and how the butterfly was finally awoken with gentleness love and light It is beautiful that his story has a happy ending Amidst the uncertainty and confusion the fear of acceptance and the worry that he might never fit in with what society termed as his sensitivity he finally finds his voice his passion embraces his sensitivity and is learning just like a butterfly to spread his wings each day and fly You definitely have to get a copy of this book from It s a remarkable anthology Loic Ekinga Kalonji is a Congolese poet story teller and a screenwriting enthusiast His work in poetry and fiction focuses on the human experience and memories Follow him on twitter Loic Ekinga 1stLoicYouknow Instagram Loic Ekinga Cheers How to Wake a Butterfly How to wake a butterfly is Loic Ekinga s debut book and follows the author s metamorphosis as he navigates life from childhood through to adulthood. Written during the lockdown this poetry collection is deeply reflective and introspective a story of becoming that explores loss longing family masculinity heartbreak and love among other themes The book tells a beautiful tale of learning unlearning and healing as the author evolves into himself. Life starts off as a difficult pregnancy and traumatic birth It s a boy it s a problem it s a screaming caterpillar it won t even look like its father The author lets us into boyhood memories most of which are tinged with pain and sadness He writes of his mother that leaves and a father that feels unfamiliar cries in prayer and wields silence Silence my brother and I inhaledThe same silence that spread likeA virus under our skinWe grew into hollow men He also introduces us to a grandmother that he remembers fondly and she makes appearances in a couple of his piecesThe author reflects on his relationship with Christianity as a young boy and feeds its allegorical language into his poetry It is said that God allowed MosesTo see His back on Mount SinaiThe boy knows now like MosesWhat it feels like to plead to a GodWho s walking away He also explores consent in one of the pieces Phone conversations with a hint of old denial Yes she was twenty seven No it wasn t molestationI m clearly fine denial Heartbreak is part of the human experience and as such we have all experienced some form of it Loic Ekinga gracefully allows us to witness his vulnerability through his pieces on heartbreak and in a way gives us words and permission to explore our own. As you delve deeper into the pages you become familiar with the author you resonate with his emotions and when he writes of love you can literally visualize the caterpillar break out and spread its wings This is the kind of passionNations go to war for This is the kind of loveThat gets gods crucified All in all How to wake a butterfly is a relatable bold vulnerable and beautifully written book that was a delight for my poetry loving taste buds The poems are written with so much grace and remind us that healing is a process one we need to embark on with grace. It is also an easy book to digest and I found myself reading it in a single seating I would be lying if I had a single favorite piece because each poem tells a unique story of the authors becoming and yet somehow all link up to form this body of art. As we come to the end of this review the Question still stands How do you wake a butterfly If you can I say Without bruising its wings How to Wake a Butterfly It was an all encompassing experience to read How To Wake To A Butterfly as the author Loic Ekinga took us back along the way of helping us move forward Each time I read this body of work I found something new special and personally liberating and affirming to my own experience and feelings. My attention was drawn to the poem Caterpillar when preparing this review because it foreshadows the final chapter and ultimately what might seem like the end but is actually just the beginning of the butterfly s journey I had to believe that it ends easier than it begins eventuallyWe arrive and it s almost as if the author has positioned this poem beforehand as a reference to which we can refer to repeatedly while we move through the book It almost says as you travel along my path I invite you to hold close to you what you find but in all that you may encounter remember this Following that we begin to walk with Ekinga as he slowly and gracefully undoes the silence that has bound him for so long Here we witness him open up about childhood experiences grief and trauma As a result of all these experiences I felt a sense of loneliness from his perspective and perhaps that is the result of being quiet and having to deal with a great deal of emotional labour inwardly The same silence that spread like a virus under our skin We grew into hollow menThrough the heaviness of these experiences I felt as though Ekinga continued to scratch for something he was unfamiliar with but nevertheless wanted To be open and vulnerable Having the luxury to cry and express oneself Though he wasn t familiar with these we can see that he longed and almost felt that he deserved them despite never having had an exposure to them. Lately I ve been unlearning silence I ve been scraping off the glue that comes with the sighs In the poem Origin Story Ekinga recounts his parents love and we see how the way he imagines their love plays into the love he might long for himself After being introduced to his chaos he presents us with this poem in which we see a boy who has witnessed a love that exists in chaos and almost hopes that someday his chaos will be softened by love. This tone is carried and then revisited in the last chapter where he explores a new love that he is experiencing The second stanza of the poem Dancer perfectly shows us the longing that is now fulfilled by this love Be grateful for the people that walk into your life and decide to stay knowing full well that so much glass has been shattered here before We see that Loic Ekinga showed us that love creates a space for chaos which poses a question about how we often think we need to present ourselves in a particular way in order to be loved The belief that perfection does not have to sit right at the core of who we are in order for us to be loved. How To Wake A Butterfly is a beautiful embodiment of exactly that An imperfect journey that nonetheless is beautiful How to Wake a Butterfly Loic Ekinga is a Congolese writer He is the author of the poetry chapbook How To Wake A Butterfly published by Odyssey Books His works of fiction and poetry have appeared in Agbow Type Cast Magazine Ja Magazine Poetry Potion A Long House and Kalahari Review His experimental mini chapbook Twelve Things You Failed at As A Man Today was an honourable mention by JK Anowe for Praxis Magazine Online In addition his short story Loop has been adapted into a short film by Vivanation He is a finalist of Poetry Africa s Slam Jam competition 2020 and the Fiction Editor for TVO TRIBEThe poems in Loic Ekinga s collection How to Wake a Butterfly speak to loss longing and the often thwarted need for expression This is an author exploring the pain of manhood being an abandoned child one trying to find his way in a world that doesn t rush to recognize and embrace him These are graceful pieces that give us gentle words to describe heartache pain acceptance the overwhelming desire to connect to be accepted and to be loved These are poems worth reading savoring and reflecting on after the book is closed Highly recommended How to Wake a Butterfly Oh wow What did I just read Firstly a huge thanks to Loic for this chapbook. I am not a poet but I am still thinking of some of the pieces in the book It will make you want to reach out and hug him to hide your teary eyes and to confront your longing as well How to Wake a Butterfly Thanks to the author for a free e copy in exchange for an honest review This was an anthology of poems They re weren t too long individually micro poems Many of them standalone with few interlinked with the theme of the title echoing through them allI was highlighting a lot of things and some of the lines definitely jolted and stayed with me for the beauty and depth they communicated Topics of family and it s burden and dynamics loss love healing growth and a struggle to be whole again I really liked those that spoke to the issues of men being made to hide their feelings Not every poem had a hold on me Some didn t resonate with me but I think that s the beauty of an anthology I absolutely loved some and you SHOULD check my activities log to see my highlights I loved Tu Petrichor and I Need you to Know Everything about those three poems was amazing Yes I d recommend this especially to everyone looking for poetry I d definitely find time and have a reread again How to Wake a Butterfly Book Review for How To Wake A Butterfly An e ARC was kindly provided for me to review by Odyssey Books This book is a collection of poems by the same author All of these poems were written by the author while in lockdown I have to say I think it is quite remarkable that someone can write so beautifully amidst a pandemic and while in lockdown and still produce these poems that convey such a wide variety of emotions. I ve loved you under sunsets I haven t seen yet on sands I haven t kicked in words I haven t written yet This collection of poetry really moved me The poems really conveyed the emotions they were supposed to I may not be an expert on poetry but what I do know is that I really enjoyed reading this collection I felt the feelings of loss and love in these poems How to wake a butterfly is a book of poetry that I would recommend to everyone It is evident that the poet put so much energy and time in writing these poems and it is amazing that one poet can put so many emotions into words My father taught me to be a wielder Of silence it s better than flinging Sounds across the room out of anger And even embarrassingly Hurt How to Wake a Butterfly The author wrote How To Wake a Butterfly during a lockdown when he was forced to look at his life and retrace the many things that have nurtured his character His starting point is the famous reflection by Zhuangzi that begins Once upon a time I dreamt I was a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly unaware that I was myself Soon I awaked and there I was veritably myself again Now I do not know if I was then a man dreaming I was butterfly or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man Within a few pages I sensed something of an irony in that choice of quote for it becomes clear that the poet has too rarely been conscious of happiness until recently Even birth was traumatic the baby you is out out of here its a boy its a problem its a screaming caterpillar Will the baby grow wings he has known so much hurt already How it Began When he is about ten mother leaves leaving behind the boy and his brother with a hurt silent father We grew into hollow men my brother and I Many years later he asks her why she went away while I m trying to hold her hand through the phone I ve found no comfort son I left for you because sometimes To save the hand you cut off a finger. So young he turns to comfort in prayers and religion but to no avail I was told God listens to little boys prayers Yet I felt my heart sink and dryOn my pillow at nightLke my parents marriage In Jesus name Amen On my Parents Divorce The poems move through Loic s boyhood memories and he mentions terrible things war bombs machetes But he does not dwell on these He reflects instead on the people who helped to form him his parents brothers and in particular his grandmother Theres s a father that never came close A child that never left for school a little boy crying in an unfamiliar neighbourhood There s an uncle telling him to man up There s a mother that never left a note Always he returns to the most important struggle of his life as it seemed to me to unlearn the silence that he had learned from his father My father taught me to be a wielder of silence. The sections on the poet s early years and young manhood Caterpillar and Cocoon I found to be a challenging read to be honest with line after line sending me off on reflections of my own However in the last section Butterfly the poet soars He is able to accept himself to emerge from the cocoon and to allow himself not only to love but to be loved And isn t that what we all search for in the end So how do you wake a butterfly If you can I say Without bruising its wings With a hug How to Wake a Butterfly

How to Wake a Butterfly By Loic Ekinga

1922311308

9781922311306

English

106

Paperback

How to Wake a Butterfly is a collection about transformation and growth It follows the author s different stages in life from childhood memories trauma heartbreak and new found love The author wrote How to Wake a Butterfly during the lockdown when he was forced to look at his life and retrace the many things that have nurtured his character How to Wake a Butterfly.