The Sound of the Broken Wand|Review

Blurb

Award-winning singer and songwriter Tiki Black blends her multicultural assets to create intricate lyrics and memorable music. Tiki now bares her soul with her first book, The Sound Of The Broken Wand, a beautifully written collection of poems and a unique accompaniment to her sophomore album. The artist weaves the wealth of her experience into each line, celebrating the magic of human emancipation, as it breaks the spell of survival and allows us to experience the infinite possibilities of life. 

My review

‘My existence was in question
Was I human? Automaton?
To rise above this condition
I needed emancipation.
They set me free in tight borders
Deemed me unique within the mould
They said me safe in that terror
And afraid of my own person.’

The Sound of Broken the Wand by Tiki Black is a collection of poems and one essay that reflects on every aspect of human life from birth to death and everything in between. The six themes that are used in the book are the blood, the cage, the mirror, the crown, the shoe, and the wand. The author meditates on each of these themes and the poems reflect those deep thoughts. They talk about life, death, love, refuge, power, debt, journeys, magic, reflection, and much more. The striking characteristics of these poems are they all carry pure raw emotions – the unadulterated, painful, and unacceptable part of our lives. These poems are sharp questions aimed at us. Why we are afraid to break the spell and get out of this survival mode? A single moment of bravery can grant us a lifetime of infinite possibilities.

To break this spell, we have to touch the uncomfortable side of our inner self. The one side that we hide from everyone. The one face you are afraid to show. The one side you don’t want to claim as yourself. But it is yours and you have to accept it. Deniability doesn’t serve you. Rather, accepting one’s dark side will result in liberation.

We all have moulded our faces to be in line with what is socially acceptable. But what if the true freedom lies in breaking this spell and embracing who we are? The world will be truly a better place if everyone accepts their uniqueness and encourages others the same. Tiki Black’s poems are a bold reminder of this fact.

What I loved most is the thoughtfulness of these poems. Each poem touches our minds in the deepest way possible. They present unique questions to us. Answering these questions opens new dimensions of our character and mind. At this stage, these poems are slowly transcended to the genre of self-improvement.
I really loved the multidimensional facet of these poems. Really enjoyable and thought-provoking read!