What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Wake a Butterfly
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.
- GenresPoetry
106 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2021
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Loic Ekinga
2 books7 followersLoic 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 Agbowò; 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 TRIBE
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 29, 2021
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 dry
On my pillow at night
Lke 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’.
‘.. 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 dry
On my pillow at night
Lke 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’.
Read
June 12, 2022Thanks 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; more micro poems
Many of them standalone with few interlinked with the theme of the title echoing through them all
I 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
This was an anthology of poems
They’re weren’t too long individually; more micro poems
Many of them standalone with few interlinked with the theme of the title echoing through them all
I 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
June 15, 2021
The 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.
August 31, 2021
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.
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.
June 13, 2021
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 more embarrassingly,
Hurt.
September 13, 2021
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, eventually"
We 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 men"
Through 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.
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, eventually"
We 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 men"
Through 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.
July 22, 2021
“You’re a deeply sensitive man”
I took those words and crushed them
Inside my palm until they turned
Red like wine, I don’t want to cry.
She looked at me again and called me
River.
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 silence
A master of body language
He taught me that questions don’t always guarantee answers
That sometimes, if you’re silent enough
The 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 myself,
Why 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 more 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 molested
And claim to be the man in charge
A lucky, lucky boy"
Likasi… because I’m trying to get over it
The 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 amazon!
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.
I took those words and crushed them
Inside my palm until they turned
Red like wine, I don’t want to cry.
She looked at me again and called me
River.
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 silence
A master of body language
He taught me that questions don’t always guarantee answers
That sometimes, if you’re silent enough
The 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 myself,
Why 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 more 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 molested
And claim to be the man in charge
A lucky, lucky boy"
Likasi… because I’m trying to get over it
The 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 amazon!
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
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 mother
Kudos to you, Loic Ekinga, for making your mama proud. :)
------------
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 mother
Kudos to you, Loic Ekinga, for making your mama proud. :)
July 30, 2021
A beautiful anthology by Loic Ekinga. These poems touch on pain, loss and longing. This is the author exploring the pain of manhood and the stigma that comes with manhood is often associated with patriarchy. These poems serve as a purpose to break the toxicity and bring light to the non-toxic, an example would be vulnerablity.
The writter is so in touch with his emotions, which is commendable. He questions a great deal of pain he has endured and how his passion for writing came about.
The poet explores his struggles with trying to understand his emotions and personally noticing how his poems acknowledge a black man being vulnerable with his emotions is incredible and empowering. There is so much strength in vulnerability and Loic showcased that.
Highly recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
August 6, 2021
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–
more on How To Wake A Butterfly Review
How do you wake a butterfly?
If you can, I say
–Without bruising its wings–
more on How To Wake A Butterfly Review
July 19, 2021
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 inhaled
The same silence that spread like
A virus under our skin
We grew into hollow men”
He also introduces us to a grandmother that he remembers fondly and she makes appearances in a couple of his pieces
The 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 Moses
To see His back on Mount Sinai
The boy knows now, like Moses
What it feels like to plead to a God
Who’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 molestation
I’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 more 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 passion
Nations go to war for…
This is the kind of love
That 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–“
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 inhaled
The same silence that spread like
A virus under our skin
We grew into hollow men”
He also introduces us to a grandmother that he remembers fondly and she makes appearances in a couple of his pieces
The 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 Moses
To see His back on Mount Sinai
The boy knows now, like Moses
What it feels like to plead to a God
Who’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 molestation
I’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 more 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 passion
Nations go to war for…
This is the kind of love
That 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–“
June 25, 2021
I would like to start off this review by listing my favorite poems from this collection:
- How it almost began
- Phone conversations with a hint of denial
- Let me start by saying...
- Medicine
- Jam
- I need you to know
These poems made me think deeply and reflect about life, our memories of people and the impact that people have on us, as well as the things we don't say and suppress, especially to those we love. The symbolism in these poems made them have a stronger effect on me and it described feelings that I had not been able to put into words before. The prose was beautiful.
Throughout the poems there is a linking factor of pain and growth. Whether it be through words, feelings or the titles - there was a link evident between each poem. The transitions of life and living, and what is experienced in between was so vivid and explicitly depicted. I especially liked the connection with nature and humans, the idea of the caterpillar, butterfly and the flowers. Pain and healing are processes that are without a doubt experienced, we come into this world in pain, live in pain and then sometimes we die in pain too. But, healing is a process too. Together that is life.
The traditional elements like the language and the village community, pushed this narrative of pain so well. It is no secret that in our communities issues like grooming, toxic masculinity, consent etcetera exist and even thrive. Ekinga discusses these distinctly and realistically, the emotions like denial or confusion and even lust was depicted really well.
Another thing I enjoyed about this collection of poems was the unlearning we go through as we grow. Just like we get older and we experience and inflict pain, we also unlearn the pain that has been pushed onto us. This was shown in "Lunch at Tasha's" with the idea of showing emotion. The narrator says "There's so much crying I need to catch up on."
Healing processes and feeling pain are both not linear but they happen regardless, they occur no matter where in the caterpillar to butterfly phase you are. And sometimes other people can be our healers.
"Your lips will be my diet. My medicine."
( Ebook supplied by publisher for an honest review)
- How it almost began
- Phone conversations with a hint of denial
- Let me start by saying...
- Medicine
- Jam
- I need you to know
These poems made me think deeply and reflect about life, our memories of people and the impact that people have on us, as well as the things we don't say and suppress, especially to those we love. The symbolism in these poems made them have a stronger effect on me and it described feelings that I had not been able to put into words before. The prose was beautiful.
Throughout the poems there is a linking factor of pain and growth. Whether it be through words, feelings or the titles - there was a link evident between each poem. The transitions of life and living, and what is experienced in between was so vivid and explicitly depicted. I especially liked the connection with nature and humans, the idea of the caterpillar, butterfly and the flowers. Pain and healing are processes that are without a doubt experienced, we come into this world in pain, live in pain and then sometimes we die in pain too. But, healing is a process too. Together that is life.
The traditional elements like the language and the village community, pushed this narrative of pain so well. It is no secret that in our communities issues like grooming, toxic masculinity, consent etcetera exist and even thrive. Ekinga discusses these distinctly and realistically, the emotions like denial or confusion and even lust was depicted really well.
Another thing I enjoyed about this collection of poems was the unlearning we go through as we grow. Just like we get older and we experience and inflict pain, we also unlearn the pain that has been pushed onto us. This was shown in "Lunch at Tasha's" with the idea of showing emotion. The narrator says "There's so much crying I need to catch up on."
Healing processes and feeling pain are both not linear but they happen regardless, they occur no matter where in the caterpillar to butterfly phase you are. And sometimes other people can be our healers.
"Your lips will be my diet. My medicine."
( Ebook supplied by publisher for an honest review)
December 31, 2021
I liked it a lot, it was a good book, I think the poems were simple and easy to read, but also very beautiful.
I felt how the author was expressing the way he grew up, and I felt that I was doing it with him.
I also thank Odyssey Books for sending me the book
Me gusto mucho, fue un buen libro para salir del bloqueo que tenía, creo que los poemas eran sencillos y faciles de leer, pero muy bonitos.
Senti como el autor iba expresando la manera en la que crecia, y sentía que yo lo iba haciendo junto a el.
Además agradezco a Odyssey Books por mandarme el libro
I felt how the author was expressing the way he grew up, and I felt that I was doing it with him.
I also thank Odyssey Books for sending me the book
Me gusto mucho, fue un buen libro para salir del bloqueo que tenía, creo que los poemas eran sencillos y faciles de leer, pero muy bonitos.
Senti como el autor iba expresando la manera en la que crecia, y sentía que yo lo iba haciendo junto a el.
Además agradezco a Odyssey Books por mandarme el libro
November 17, 2022
These are poems to the boy who is afraid to cry
To want
To give
A eulogy to toxic masculinity
As poems, there were some I could relate with and some I didn’t
But I empathized with the boy writing It and the man that had to relive those dreams
The poem healing stayed with me
How to awake a butterfly is poetry everyone must read
To want
To give
A eulogy to toxic masculinity
As poems, there were some I could relate with and some I didn’t
But I empathized with the boy writing It and the man that had to relive those dreams
The poem healing stayed with me
How to awake a butterfly is poetry everyone must read
August 25, 2022
Loic used melancholy generously in cooking this beauty, the way you should use pepper in cooking—just enough for you to taste it, but not so much that it overshadows the collective beauty of the meal. He leaves you tracing your fingers on the edges of this melancholy, feeling how beautifully each rough turn is woven.
At the end of each line, each poem that forms the whole, you are left drooling—longing for more, wanting not to leave the caterpillar even as it's fully formed and flying.
Loic displays sadness gorgeously in this masterpiece.
At the end of each line, each poem that forms the whole, you are left drooling—longing for more, wanting not to leave the caterpillar even as it's fully formed and flying.
Loic displays sadness gorgeously in this masterpiece.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews