Night of the Hawk
Written for anyone who has experienced the isolation and marginalization that can accompany both illness and deep spiritual pursuit, this stunning collection of poetry is at once a tender homage to Yorùbá culture and the religion Ifá, a clear-eyed examination of modern-day America’s sociopolitical landscape, and a raw account of the author’s own journey through a frequently inhospitable world.
When I have wandered
long enough
what am I still beholden to?
Ifá. Nature. Illness. Love. Loss. Misogyny. Aging. Africa. Our wounded planet. In this sweeping yet intensely personal collection, Lauren Martin tells the untold stories of the marginalized, the abused, the ill, the disabled—the different. Inspired by her life’s experiences, including the isolation she has suffered as a result both of living with chronic illness and having devoted herself to a religion outside the mainstream, these poems explore with raw vulnerability and unflinching honesty what it is to live apart—even as one yearns for connection.
But Night of the Hawk is no lament; it is powerful, reverential, sometimes humorous, often defiant—“Oh heat me and fill me / I rise above lines”—and full of wisdom. Visceral and stirring, the poems in this collection touch on vastly disparate subjects but are ultimately unified in a singular quest: to inspire those who read them toward kindness, compassion, and questioning.
From the Author:
I have written poetry since I was a child. I have never considered submitting my poetry anywhere until this 74-page collection arrived. It was written while lying in bed, struggling with a spinal fluid leak, post my sister's cancer, and surviving a horrible breakup. The arc reconciles some despair associated with the long-standing struggles I have had to be accepted in a Western World that does not truly recognize, or respond well to, individuals who are seers and on a shamanic path.
My intended audience is wide: anyone who has experienced loss, or despair; anyone who is concerned about the environment; anyone who has found themselves on a spiritual journey; anyone who has experienced catastrophic health problems; anyone who is familiar with Afro-Cuban religions, who has been to West Africa, who is Yoruba, who communes with the dead or is curious about people who commune with the dead. As well as anyone who has lived through all cycles of the endocrine system, who has been a long-term feminist and is living through the cultural disregard/rendering invisible of women as they age; anyone who has experienced assault. Anyone with a heart.
“I am not usually a lover of poetry, but this book blew my skirt up. There is so much to chew on, in this book of poems. Ms. Martin treats every word she uses with great tenderness, so much heart, intellect and authority. While I was reading I kept exclaiming, Oh My God, to myself, as my breath was taken away again and again, by a new group of words and thoughts. She speaks the truth about being a woman in a patriarchal world, about the erratic nature of relationships, both romantic, platonic and family dynamics as well. She digs into politics and illness. While her poems seemed to me to be very specific, for example about her father, or her health challenges, I had shared feelings and identification with almost every single poem in this book. I don’t know much of anything about the Yoruba religion or about being a Shaman or a Seer, both of which she is and yet, I was able to understand her poetry. This was the first time I ever read a book of poetry and felt like I understood the emotional thread of every poem. She is keenly insightful about life and each of these poems is a sparkly jewel”
- Lori Jaroslow actor, writer and educator
Foreword Reviews:
Clarion Rating: 5 out of 5
A work of primordial feminine beauty, Night of the Hawk is a poetic pleasure.
Sarah Lawrence graduate Lauren Martin’s Night of the Hawk is an expansive book of poetry. Reading this panoramic collection is like flying, circling the earth, and diving down often to examine a place, predicament, or feeling. Included are poems rooted in Martin’s Yorubic practice of shamanism, her struggle with chronic illness, and coming to terms with her father’s death.
Written across a period of multiple years before being submitted for publication, and traveling from Nigeria to New York City, from a moth’s wing to a nation’s mourning, these pleasure-filled poems are spare, elegant, and unrhymed
Kirkus Reviews:
“Martin offers a collection of intimate and political poems in a voice both contemplative and strong.
The poems gathered here address themes of survival, chronic illness, shamanism, and feminism against the backdrop of daily life. Many poems contain references to the Yoruba religion, and the text includes a glossary explaining the terms, although the spiritual element is usually implied rather than explicated. In “My Experience as a Postmenopausal Woman,” the speaker laments the way older women are disregarded both in terms of femininity and feminism: “One in which there is no respect for the / elder authority of the endocrine system / and years of misogyny with no / conversation. Where we screamed into / the Grand Canyon that blew dust back / into our faces on the hot wind.” “Spirochete” condemns the systemic rejection of people living with chronic illness, shedding light on an injustice that’s simultaneously social and spiritual: “Oh Lyme Disease / You bitch // This morning you / Split my lip / Why? / Because you could…” “The Waiting Tree” explores the contrast of familiarity and nature with the utter chaos and heartbreak of the Chibok schoolgirls’ mass kidnapping in 2014: “In Nigeria / Time is specific / Dawn is 6am / Dusk is 6pm…” Some poems are spirited and play with form and rhyme without compromising the strength of voice; “Chattanooga” opens with “(Who do you do / And how do you fais do-do) // I am a poet / A New Yorker / An Òrìsà person…” In a prose piece (“Untitled Tilda Swinton Poem”), the speaker encounters her punk rock hero accompanied by a young man in the streets of Manhattan: “My mind hidden behind a sopping wet t-shirt and 7 days worth of cayenne and lemons. They weren’t even dirty. They could have been floating on the Mediterranean Sea. And then, they did…” The diversity of experience examined in these poems makes for a collection that is both full and human.
A whole life in one volume.”
Reader’s Favorite Review:
“Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Night of the Hawk by Lauren Martin is a collection of the author's original poetry, consisting primarily of free verse poems but also incorporating occasional sprinklings formatted in epistolary, list, and even one in the classical ode style. Each poem exhibits its own distinctive length, tone, and tenor and conveys a message unique to itself. ÒSun Wè Mímó invokes the Yoruba goddess for purification and forgiveness, leaning toward themes of renewal and abundance. Tuesdays looks into the aftermath of a significant loss, symbolized by a red leaf, conveying a mix of sorrow and difficulty in acceptance. Chattanooga expresses admiration for another artist, celebrating the shared love for creativity and the resonance found in mutual experiences. Throughout the collection, Martin offers diverse emotional landscapes and experiences, gifting readers with a variety of poetic forms and insights.
Lauren Martin gives us a masterclass on what it means to convey thematic richness and emotional depth in contemporary poetry in Night of the Hawk, displaying the versatility of both form and function. We get intimate glimpses into Martin's personal experiences and emotions, organically fostering authenticity and relatability. For example, Mother serves as a heartfelt tribute, celebrating a mother's resilience and imparting wisdom with sincerity. For me, I most appreciated the works that address social issues, such as feminism, environmentalism, and societal expectations. Yemoja Speaks to Scott Pruitt, which confronts environmental concerns using the voice of a deity to advocate for the protection of the oceans and marine life, was my favorite and the standout for me. Overall, Martin delivers a beautiful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking body of work that will delight those who take the time to absorb it. Very highly recommended.”