Sandra Proto's Blog - Posts Tagged "sandra-proto"

Through subjects such as self-love, love, friendship, death, and social consciousness: Wrapped up in Life with Omniscient Eyes is a poetic journey through life experiences and observations. The poems were written between 1980 and 2008, giving a broad voice from adolescence to adulthood.


Rating: 4.0 stars
Reviewed by Lisa M. for Readers' Favorite


"Wrapped Up in Life with Omniscient Eyes" by Sandra Proto is a collection of poetry based on the life experiences and observations through the eyes of the author. The first poem of the book is entitled 'Blackberry Beauty', which uses metaphorical prose to emphasize the fact that beauty is found deep within and although others may see beauty as a likeness based on appearance, it is the individual who perceives their own beauty. 'Blackberry Beauty' is about how the author describes the complexion of her skin tone which others may see as a negative flaw. But the author remarks that it is her mind that she can empower with the positive force of her beauty and adds that she can share the beauty of herself with others. ​


This is a good book to read from the beginning to the end for all those who may be interested in taking that journey through life with self evaluation and following whatever path it leads to.

Spring's Tepid BreathRating: 5.0 stars

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Spring's Tepid Breath by Sandra Proto is a collection of poems based on the poet's life experiences, journeys, and emotions. The poems take you on the poet's inner journey of self realization and exploration. Many poems in the books are written for her mother after her mother's death. Those poems reveal a longing and love that the poet feels for her. The style of writing is classy and neat. The minimalist structure gives a depth to the words and the emotions that the poet is trying to convey to the reader.

'Vera Lynn Douglas' is a poem dedicated to her mother. It speaks about the simplicity of a woman who dreamed but adjusted happily to what life offered her. 'After we came back' is another moving poem where the poet reminisces about the loss of her parents. The emotions portrayed are not over-dramatic. They reveal the inner strength of the writer who has accepted life for what it is and her decision to make peace with it. Some of the poems are written in the haiku/senryu style; short, stark but profound. It gives a feeling of being in that particular moment.

I liked the collection for various reasons. The poet has portrayed the emotions in a convincing way using the minimalist approach. The words convey an inner turmoil and a sense of loss very effectively. The poems from the beginning to the last one are tied in together to give that feeling of being connected with each other which gives a continuity while reading.

Review from Sharon's Writing Corner


Spring's Tepid Breath is beautifully written collection of poems. I had the honor of reading this collection before it went on sale, what an amazing honor. This collection takes the reader on a journey of healing and love. As a reader, I experienced a wide variety of emotions from laughing to crying to yelling, "You go!" My favorite poems in this collection were
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Review from BookwormSimi's Blissful Blog


Life As We See It“Life/ Breaths on its own/ Without nostrils” – Life goes on, paying no heed to what we think…At times we are disgusted with our misery, and on other times we feel blessed for the gifts that are showered on us. However, does it affect ‘Life’ in any way? It has its own ways, own thoughts, own nature of leading us from joy to joy and loss to loss, and ultimately to the path of self-exploration.It’s the first thought that comes in mind whenever I turn
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For the month of April, I have been posting a four part essay on my blog My Writing Corner about who inspired me to write poetry.

This week marks the third week. Please click the links below to read each post:

http://www.sandraproto.com/#!Writing-...

First Week:
http://www.sandraproto.com/#!Writing-...

Second Week:
http://www.sandraproto.com/#!Writing-...

Black Arts Movement poet Sonia Sanchez was the next of my discoveries.


In 2003, when I first started to concentrate more seriously on my writing, I read an interview with Ms. Sanchez in the book Heroism in the New Black Poetry and two years later was fortunate to meet her in person.


In 2005, I volunteered for African Voices Magazine’s Elle Charles Award honouring Sonia Sanchez at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. I worked at the information table selling African Voices magazines and subscriptions. I heard (read more)

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With my belly protruding and sweat running down my back, I boarded the sardined-packed E-train on 5th Avenue in New York City. This was mid-July of 2006. I was six months pregnant, but looked more like nine months. I canvassed the train for an empty seat and there were none available. When we pulled out of the station, I held on tight to an empty space of a silver pole, stiffened my legs, and swayed in the direction of our destination. Even though, I worked in an office and sat down all day, the weight of my first daughter made my legs wobbly. A woman of Jamaican descent noticed me and offered her seat. I was very grateful. I sat down (read more)

http://sandraproto.blogspot.com/2014/...

There is a recognizable ebb and flow to the process of recovering our creative selves. As we gain strength, so will some of the attacks of self-doubt. This is normal, and we can deal with these stronger attacks when we see them as symptoms of recovery. As you learn to recognize, nurture, and protect your inner artist, you will be able to move beyond pain and creative constrictions.-Julia Cameron


Six years ago I was writing heavily. I was engrossed in my short stories and enjoyed seeing them come into completion. I also was performing and reading my poetry, acting, taking writing classes, and doing yoga. I was single and living my life as an “Artist.” But soon unexpected events in my life took precedence: my sister’s death, the removal of my left ovary due to a cyst, my miracle pregnancy (at least that’s what I believed even though my doctor reassured me at the time of the removal I had one perfectly good ovary), quitting smoking (this was a miracle in itself), marriage, my move to Long Island, and another pregnancy.

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Enter to win one of my poetry books in my Back to School Giveaway.

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A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My thoughts:


Nine months ago I finished reading A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. I initially gave it a four-star rating because I felt it was lacking in showing Jefferson’s side of the story.


If you have never read A Lesson Before Dying, the story is about a young man who was found guilty of murdering a liquor store owner during a robbery and was executed. Jefferson is a young man who is described as being “slow” and who follows two young men into the liquor store. Jefferson claims that one of the two men was the one that killed the liquor store owner. When the police officers arrived, they found all three men dead and Jefferson taking money from the cash register. Jefferson went to trial for the robbery and murder of the liquor store owner. His lawyer tried to establish his innocent by comparing him to a “hog.” This comparison of “hog” brings me to Claude McKay’s poem about the race riots of 1919, If We Must Die:

If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.

Ernest J. Gaines’ use of “hog” is the center point of the story because Jefferson’s aunt, who is his caregiver enlist the African-American teacher, Grant Wiggins as a mentor for Jefferson. She wants Grant Wiggins to teach Jefferson how to be a “man” so he can die a “man” and not a “hog.”

The story is told through the eyes of Grant Wiggins except for one chapter that Jefferson is telling his story before his execution. I, as a reader, wanted to hear from Jefferson’s mouth what had happened in the liquor store. When Mr. Gaines did not let that happen; I felt cheated as a reader. I didn’t get it why he chose not to have Jefferson explain himself. I did get the whole “man” part. Because at the end, Jefferson “walked” like a “man” to his death and with that he taught Grant Wiggins how to be a “man” and take responsibility.


Yes, that is a lesson learned.

But, also what I learned from A Lesson Before Dying, by witnessing what has been happening with the killing of black men and boys from Emmett Till to Eric Garner, is that whether one whistle’s at a white woman, steals cigars and cigarettes, holds a toy gun, celebrate at a Bachelor’s Party, wear a hooded sweatshirt and eat Skittles or just having a right to defend someone:


A black man pleaded to the white men
And said, “He’s just a child.”
The white men threatened the black man
And said, “Keep your mouth shut if you
Wanna live to be sixty-four.”

-from Emmett Till (He was just a child)

Is that it is justifiable to kill a black man or boy because in the eyes of the law—they are always in the wrong.

Note: I have changed my review to five-stars because I get it now.




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Back in college, the thing to do besides going to classes was to go downtown to the bars. I use to go with my roommate on Thursday nights for the drink specials (Buy One Get One Free). We would sit at the bar and savor the flavor of one of the BOGO drinks unlike the red-face guys standing in the corner with a beer in each hand laughing and talking with their friends. The Two-fisted Drinkers (which I heard the guys refer to each other) would first guzzle the beer in their right hand and then their left until they were both empty. The look of disappointment would gloss over their face. They would sway back and forth slurring their words on their way back to the bar. Obvious, they did not need another round but insisted on it and the bartender would oblige.


Just thinking about this reminds me of reading two books at once.

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As a poet, it is only natural to experiment with different poetry forms. By doing so, it gives you the freedom to discover what words can really reveal about your feelings and what you are trying to convey. The last poetry forms that I had a chance to work with were the Haiku/Senryu. I used these forms for my last poetry book Spring’s Tepid Breath because it was the simplest way to express myself about my trials and tribulations in the time of my mother’s death. For my upcoming collection, Sketches, I am exploring Ekphrasic and Erasure poetry forms.

In Ekphrasic poetry, you look deeply into the artwork for the story the artist is telling. The artwork—that I am using for Sketches—is from my late sister’s collection.

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