Book Review: Catch Me
By Hameedah Kehinde
I finished my bowl of hot soup today. Sadly. That’s how I feel after finishing Na’ima B. Robert’s first published collection of short poems. The poems in the collection were like little sips, spoonfuls of hot, warming soup and I savoured each one, hoping it wasn’t the last.
While reading these poems, I found myself reading some aloud, exploring the rhythm and rhymes. I could just see someone reading them at a poetry reading session; everyone carried along with the feeling of the poet. She repeats words to drive home her point and uses beautiful rhyming schemes so everything flows.
“…the yearning for the material,
the burning for the superficial,
the searching for the ephemeral…”
Beautiful. And some poems are just free verse,
“… Iman slips,
slowly,
while you sleep…”
Each poem has a clear message and obviously comes from a deep place. If you are not a fan of poetry and would like to develop a taste for it, this collection is a good place to start. The poems are short and easy to understand but boy are they packed with emotionand powerful messages. I found that a huge plus. Not everyone finds joy in reading poetry that are pages long, nor poetry that requires you reread them a few times to get the message. Na’ima’s poetry is straight to the point, clear but deep.
My favourite poem is the title one, Catch Me. Everyone could use some catching, every day and all the time. I love the bluntness, how raw and sore she sounds. And the certainty that she will be caught because the Lord she calls out to never misses. I love it! Everyone has been there:
“Forgive me, Lord…
And catch me…
When the tears finally fall…
Catch me, Lord
Catch me.”
I also loved the message of ‘Embracing Grey’. The poem depicts growth and understanding. Choosing the path of the middle as our Prophet (Peace be upon him) prescribed and focusing on one’s soul rather than judging anyone else.
‘Survivor’ spoke to me specially. Abuse is on the high in our society, sadly, and this poem highlights the stages of abuse in a marriage. How one goes from confusion to blaming one’s self and then to denial by the people around you and finally, realization. The story has become far too common but so has the story of women who have chosen to survive. The poem ‘Snuffed’ focuses on abuse as well.
I really enjoyed ‘At Least’ too. Another important poem. Honest and hitting the nail on the head.
“…We have become the ummah of ‘at least’
The community of the barest, barest minimums.”
So true and so sad. Na’ima is not afraid to say it as it is and I find that refreshing in our society today.
Finally, I loved ‘All I Have’. This poem reminds me of a thought I have always had at the back of my mind. How do people that don’t believe in Allah get through those tough patches in life? I have no idea. This poem says it all. When you have come to very end of yourself and have absolutely nothing else to do-you pray. Na’ima says:
“…After all the words
The pleas
The tears
All I have is open hands
Palms up
Trembling.
All I have is du’a.”
If there is anything wrong with Catch Me, it is that it ended too abruptly. I deliberately put off finishing it because I wanted it to last. I reread some of the poems a few times to quench my thirst for more.
Na’ima B. Roberts says so many things I want to say and she says them better, using just the right words to convey the emotion, the ache, the hurt, the hope, the love. She shares the pain of a broken and lonely heart, the fear of a mother, the concern of a sister in the ummah, the warmth of a friend and the love and need of a slave of the Most Gracious, Most Beneficial Allah. As I read her words, it was like having a friend that says exactly what you want to say and I kept wanting to share fist pumps and high fives with her. I thank Sister Na’ima for her words, for her courage to say these words and I ask Allah to heal her and catch her. Here’s a fist pump and a high five for a lovely book of poetry.
Hameedah Kehinde is a single mother and an English teacher living in Abuja, Nigeria. She loves to read and has written a few articles for SISTERS Magazine. When Hameedah isn’t mothering, teaching or reading, she is trying to catch up on sleep or daydreaming about many different things, including food.