Face Me: a declaration

by Olivia Keenan

Overview

Face Me: a declaration reveals the complexities of a mixed race identity through religion, sex, American history, and colorism. The poems in Face Me reject any white supremacy that dictates Biblical interpretations, historical truths, and beauty standards. This collection of poems follows a journey that begins in uncertainty, but concludes in celebration. Within its pages, declarations are unwaveringly signed and spoken. Black bodies are praised and exalted. Faith is reexamined and reclaimed. And Face Me exists not as a question, but as a command.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781736545218
Publisher:	The Unapologetic Voice House LLC
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	134
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Olivia Keenan is an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia pursuing a degree in Biology, with the intention of being pre-med. Olivia is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she lives with her parents and two sisters. From a young age, she has been inspired to write about racism and the unique position of being a Black woman of mixed race. In high school, she was involved in slam poetry, and has continued performing spoken word at UVA. Some of the most incredible poets she has ever met come from her college poetry classes and UVA's Flux Poetry club. This is her second shot at writing a poetry book, but her first one called "what love does" was a self-published chapbook, for which only 50 copies were printed.

Table of Contents

i Exposition 1

Click 3

Maple Tree Ln, Brookfield WI 53045 7

I surrender 11

March. Again 13

Virgin blues 17

Lucky who? 21

White boys still don't let me sign the damn declaration of independence 25

Wash 29

Old wars on old couches 31

This is the Queen of the 35

Non-Reciprocation 37

Me and Jefferson 39

ii Development 43

Stained glass girls 45

Virgin Blacks 49

Lucky you 53

Hi, yellow! 57

Black on Black 61

Compromising 65

Hands up 69

Lilac Gods 71

I read the declaration of independence anyway 75

Calluses 79

Awash 83

iii Recapitulation 85

I compose myself 87

Who is that in the protests? 89

Sonata for my Sisters 91

i 92

ii 92

iii 93

Princess mobutu 97

Lucky ME 101

Solomon's Song of Songs 6:10 103

Solomon's Song of Songs 4:11-12 105

Solomon's Song of Songs 7:2-8 107

I run to you 111

Me and Jefferson II 115

Acknowledgements 123