Black Sugarcane
by Nafanua Purcell Kersel
Review by Maia
This debut collection of poetry is an embodiment of its namesake, rooted firmly among heavy light and saturated in sticky nourishment. The collection is sectioned into five parts, named after elongated vowels used in Gagana Sāmoa, ā, ē, ī, ō, and ū. Each part is distinct in its tone and subject matter while consistent in themes of belonging, connection to fanua and its people, and a dissonant but strong sense of home. As we traverse different oceans, islands and cities, Kersel gracefully positions the reader in the poem’s setting with a grounding fullness that honours the places and people we visit. With deft formatting, Kersel invites the reader to inhale this collection in a way that allows the words to move through you and tether to an internal rhythm. She bids us to pay attention, to notice the ever-present drumming pulse of the body and its beating. Some poems are grounded in an earthy bass and others are sharp, witty and quick like the Pātē. Most, if not all finish with an encompassing echo of vibration felt long after the words on the page end.
