Waterbaby

In her remarkable third collection, Nikki Wallschlaeger turns to water—the natural element of grief—to trace the interconnected movements of history through family, memory, and day-to-day survival. Waterbaby is a book that explores Blackness, language, and motherhood in America; the ancestral joys and sharp pains that travel together through the crowded riverways of the nervous system; and the holy sanctuary of the bathtub for a spirit that's pushed beyond exhaustion. Wallschlaeger uses her vibrant lexicon and varied rhythms to condense and expand emotion, to hurry and slow meaning, communicating the profound simultaneity of righteous dissatisfaction with an unjust world and radical love for what's possible. Waterbaby sings the blues in every key, as the poet traces history's interconnected movements and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

The book is a poignant exploration of the complexities of identity, the weight of history, and the power of human connection. Wallschlaeger's language is both lyrical and grounded, capturing the nuances of experience with a keen eye and a compassionate heart. Through the lens of water, she examines the ways in which the past informs the present, and the ways in which individuals and communities navigate the challenges of contemporary life.

At its core, Waterbaby is a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of the human spirit. Wallschlaeger's poems speak to the universal experiences of love, loss, and the search for meaning, while also addressing the specific challenges faced by marginalized communities in America. The book is a powerful and necessary contribution to the literary landscape, a work that challenges readers to confront the hard truths of our world, while also offering hope and inspiration.

Throughout Waterbaby, Wallschlaeger's use of water as a metaphor is both evocative and deeply resonant. The element serves as a conduit for the flow of memory, the ebb and flow of emotion, and the interconnectedness of all things. The poet's language is both lush and sparse, capturing the complexities of the human experience with a deft and assured hand.

Ultimately, Waterbaby is a book that demands to be engaged with, to be wrestled with, and to be celebrated. Wallschlaeger's poetic voice is a powerful and necessary one, and Waterbaby is a testament to the transformative power of art in the face of adversity.

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