While I Yet Live

by Gboyega Odubanjo

Gboyega Odubanjo’s debut marks the start of an exciting career. His is a voice that draws you in, intrinsically contemporary, grounded in something timeless. With an enviable lightness of touch, he explores themes such as race, mortality and the fallibility of faith—‘i believing foolish in the heat of it / assumed sweat was communion / fever god given’. The poems in While I Yet Live beat to a luxurious musicality; prayers and confessions, these are poems to read to yourself aloud.

Genres: Poetry

31 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Chelsea Bondzanga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I understood poetry more, the meaning between the lines and spaces. That being said, I understood what it made me feel. Electric, like words buzzing through vein and setting blood alight, and then and then a dulling sweet pain, sometimes sad, sometimes necessary. A reread is definitely due, because I wasn’t always too sure of what was said though I’d formed some images in my mind and I was feeling them through me. But what I do know is that Odubanjo was a marvel and he will be missed.

[lévi-civita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhythmic, fun to recite, impactful

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

sometimes musical, often sad, always great

[Carmijn Gerritsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short pamphlet by Odubanjo gives readers an insight into his poetic voice, discussing matters of race, belonging, faith and community. In light of his recent and unexpected death, some of the pieces have gained an extra dimension of meaning. Overall, I quite enjoyed it, but would like to read a larger collection by him to get a better understanding of his work.

[Korkor Kanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, contemporary set of poems that are as lyrical as they are vibrant.
Odubanjo intersperses his Nigerian heritage into a work that leans into Black British and African-American tropes with ease and poignancy.
His ability to story-tell using familiar but original language e.g. 'rumpunchblooded' and 'baby-lon' lend to quality in the quotidian. Every line is effective, and he puts the 'extra' in extraordinary with his execution.

Highly recommend to all, a poet to watch.

[rayon · Rating 3 out of 5]

really enjoyed a select few titles but the concepts felt looser than aunty uncle poems and so it’s like i was comparing work with work. i think i might have felt different if i read this first. i love the way in-language is woven in objective descriptors, ‘more blick than blue’ but the overall perspective felt hazier here and so i struggled to connect overall.

[Allie Dechow · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could travel to any place and any time I would go to bed with all the strangers who got my name right

[Alice Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunned by the poetry, incredibly raw and honest. I feel like his poems are particuallry incredible in the way they harness sound to create meaning, you are literally carried in waves by the patterns of syllables.