What do you think?
Rate this book
Night of the Hawk: Poems
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 to inspire those who read them toward kindness, compassion, and questioning.
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 to inspire those who read them toward kindness, compassion, and questioning.
- GenresPoetry
88 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2024
2139 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 1, 2024
I like poetry, but I don’t read it as much as I should. I’m grateful to Goodreads because a lot of the poetry I read are books I received because of them. This book was full of thought provoking poetry that was straight to the point and dealt with real issues which I like. My favorite poem was Uncle Ceremony - it was a poem that dealt with grief and it made me tear up as it spoke so accurately to my experience of grief. I also liked Of Times Traveled quite a bit. I too have wondered why female intelligence is so frightening to men. This collection was fun to read and full of beautiful lyrics that will make you think.
January 13, 2025
I really like this book of poetry by Lauren Martin. So many of her poems resonate with me, in particular being an older woman and also dealing with abuse.
The poet follows a shamanistic tradition from Nigeria-the Ifa religion-which I know nothing about. However a glossary of terms is provided, and none of the poems are so obscure that the reader feels completely lost.
I appreciate the confidence and wisdom in her voice, and her willingness to share her experiences.
I will definitely be rereading this book as there is much to discover and take in.
The poet follows a shamanistic tradition from Nigeria-the Ifa religion-which I know nothing about. However a glossary of terms is provided, and none of the poems are so obscure that the reader feels completely lost.
I appreciate the confidence and wisdom in her voice, and her willingness to share her experiences.
I will definitely be rereading this book as there is much to discover and take in.
May 20, 2024
A collection of several poetries stretched across different topics of life, tied into a beautiful knot. The topics discussed in here are extremely raw - which I prefer over the sugar coating. The book has vivid subjects touching a reader on different planes, some in a mundane world, materialistic things, while others in the context of a soul and emotion.
Since poetry in its overall sense is very subjective, the reader may find themselves connecting more to a few pieces than others. My favourites are added to the slide (swipe to check them), while they did push me towards contemplating the deeper meaning of a few words, a few others were a little difficult for me to comprehend and correlate with.
Since poetry in its overall sense is very subjective, the reader may find themselves connecting more to a few pieces than others. My favourites are added to the slide (swipe to check them), while they did push me towards contemplating the deeper meaning of a few words, a few others were a little difficult for me to comprehend and correlate with.
April 26, 2024
“Night of the Hawk: Poems” by Lauren Martin is a riveting anthology that delves deep into the heart of human experience with an uncompromising voice that commands attention. Inspired by her personal trials, including chronic illness and the isolation stemming from her devotion to the African spiritual practice of Ifá, Martin weaves a poignant narrative that spans continents and concerns, from the intimate terrains of love and loss to the broader landscapes of misogyny, aging, and ecological devastation.
What makes this collection standout is not just the breadth of topics it covers, but the manner in which these themes are explored. Martin’s poems are unafraid to confront difficult truths about our society and our inner selves. She gives voice to the marginalized—the abused, the ill, the disabled—highlighting their struggles and resilience in a world that often overlooks them. Each poem serves as a testament to the diversity of human suffering and strength, inviting the reader to reflect on their own place within these narratives.
What makes this collection standout is not just the breadth of topics it covers, but the manner in which these themes are explored. Martin’s poems are unafraid to confront difficult truths about our society and our inner selves. She gives voice to the marginalized—the abused, the ill, the disabled—highlighting their struggles and resilience in a world that often overlooks them. Each poem serves as a testament to the diversity of human suffering and strength, inviting the reader to reflect on their own place within these narratives.
June 5, 2024
Variety of poems reflecting struggle, pain, thoughtfulness. "My Experiences as a Post Menopausal Woman" really struck me. The book also made me look around differently, and made me want to write.
August 18, 2024
Lovely poems! Some unfamiliar words but there is a glossary in the front. Nice to read a poem or two before bed.
July 1, 2024
Martin’s voice is strong, her poetry vivid, deeply felt and evocative. Her style and language are straight forward and approachable, even for those who read poetry infrequently. It’s a quick, soul satisfying read, subjects ranging from environmental issues, spiritual seeking and practice, heartbreak, illness, friendship and family bonds. Her poems are ones you’ll read more than once. I look forward to her next book.
May 24, 2025
On the Foundation of My Shoulders: A Reflection on Night of the Hawk
Lauren Martin's The Night of the Hawk is a collection of forty-two poems in 68 pages. For general readers, this may seem short, however, I find it chord striking and audacious. Lauren shares her life through creative and unfiltered means paving the way for anyone reading the book to think and travel through these lines.
In Night of the Hawk, the poet soars between realms mythic and bodily, ancestral and political, sensual and philosophical. I found the collection to be both a balm and a battle cry, though not always in the ways one might expect.
I was initially drawn to the poem titled “My Experience as a Postmenopausal Woman,” a rare and audacious offering in a world where our bodies and voices are too often erased. The poet writes:
“We are ignored / everywhere – even in poetry.”
It’s a truth that reverberates with the sharpness of a snapped synapse and a wisdom accumulated through years of hot flashes, revolutions, betrayals, and quiet endurance. Here is a voice that has not only paved the way but stood on the shoulders of her own mother. A voice that demands to be seen and looked down on, not as inferiority, but as foundation.
In a literary world obsessed with youth and its packaged rebellion, Night of the Hawk dares to include the seasoned rebel. The poems range from raw accounts of personal trauma (as the bow breaks, impact, peaches) to cosmic invocations of Yorùbá spirituality (Òsun Wè Mímó, Yemoja Speaks to Scott Pruitt). The poet speaks with clarity earned through years of confrontation with power, whether that power is patriarchal, colonial, medical, or divine. Among the most visceral poems is Spirochete, a blunt, sardonic address to Lyme disease that turns chronic illness into both enemy and metaphor. The poet writes:
“You rob me / Like an addict cousin / Who hits me / Over the head with / My own purse.”
It’s a devastatingly accurate portrait of the body in battle with itself and of a medical system that gaslights the very people it fails. I felt not just the physical pain described but the deeper emotional exhaustion of being disbelieved, dismissed, and denied legitimacy. The body here is not romanticized; it is bruised, taxed, and enduring. This poem refuses to apologize for its pain or pretend it’s poetic in the traditional sense. And that’s exactly what makes it necessary. It reminds us that aging, illness, and survival aren’t side stories.
The collection sometimes skirts dangerously close to the same cultural forgetting critiques. Yes, there is reverence for elders, especially mothers, and the collection’s spiritual register reflects a deeply intergenerational consciousness. Still, I couldn't help but yearn for a more sustained presence not only of the menopausal body but also of its eroticism, its anger, its afterglow.
“To be told that you have no idea when / We paved the way” is not just a lament. It is a protest against the quiet condescension that even younger feminists sometimes unwittingly adopt.
The poet is at her best when she connects personal memory to cultural trauma as in The Waiting Tree, a haunting meditation on the Chibok girls or when she reclaims grief as political ground (Sad Song for a Nation). These are poems that honor “sleeves rolled up / and boots tied high,” the unseen work of women who made space for today’s hammers to reach the glass ceiling.
As a reader, I didn’t just see myself in the poems, I felt myself in the ache of joints, the edge of memory, and the quiet courage of survival. But I also wanted more. More space. More poems that say, with unflinching pride: we are still here. We have always been here. Although, I found a couple of prose in the book that somewhat were not poetic but almost like reading through a journal. However, the entire book leaves a mark.
In this way, Night of the Hawk is not just a poetry collection. It's a partial restoration. It acknowledges us, yes. It gives us a poem. But it also reminds us that the work is ongoing, that poetry, like society, must continue to look back with reverence and down with gratitude or risk building its future on a cracked foundation. I recommend this book to those who ever feel unseen, have a knack for spiritual forces, or who are looking for open-minded poems to read. This poetry collection may just be for you.
Lauren Martin's The Night of the Hawk is a collection of forty-two poems in 68 pages. For general readers, this may seem short, however, I find it chord striking and audacious. Lauren shares her life through creative and unfiltered means paving the way for anyone reading the book to think and travel through these lines.
In Night of the Hawk, the poet soars between realms mythic and bodily, ancestral and political, sensual and philosophical. I found the collection to be both a balm and a battle cry, though not always in the ways one might expect.
I was initially drawn to the poem titled “My Experience as a Postmenopausal Woman,” a rare and audacious offering in a world where our bodies and voices are too often erased. The poet writes:
“We are ignored / everywhere – even in poetry.”
It’s a truth that reverberates with the sharpness of a snapped synapse and a wisdom accumulated through years of hot flashes, revolutions, betrayals, and quiet endurance. Here is a voice that has not only paved the way but stood on the shoulders of her own mother. A voice that demands to be seen and looked down on, not as inferiority, but as foundation.
In a literary world obsessed with youth and its packaged rebellion, Night of the Hawk dares to include the seasoned rebel. The poems range from raw accounts of personal trauma (as the bow breaks, impact, peaches) to cosmic invocations of Yorùbá spirituality (Òsun Wè Mímó, Yemoja Speaks to Scott Pruitt). The poet speaks with clarity earned through years of confrontation with power, whether that power is patriarchal, colonial, medical, or divine. Among the most visceral poems is Spirochete, a blunt, sardonic address to Lyme disease that turns chronic illness into both enemy and metaphor. The poet writes:
“You rob me / Like an addict cousin / Who hits me / Over the head with / My own purse.”
It’s a devastatingly accurate portrait of the body in battle with itself and of a medical system that gaslights the very people it fails. I felt not just the physical pain described but the deeper emotional exhaustion of being disbelieved, dismissed, and denied legitimacy. The body here is not romanticized; it is bruised, taxed, and enduring. This poem refuses to apologize for its pain or pretend it’s poetic in the traditional sense. And that’s exactly what makes it necessary. It reminds us that aging, illness, and survival aren’t side stories.
The collection sometimes skirts dangerously close to the same cultural forgetting critiques. Yes, there is reverence for elders, especially mothers, and the collection’s spiritual register reflects a deeply intergenerational consciousness. Still, I couldn't help but yearn for a more sustained presence not only of the menopausal body but also of its eroticism, its anger, its afterglow.
“To be told that you have no idea when / We paved the way” is not just a lament. It is a protest against the quiet condescension that even younger feminists sometimes unwittingly adopt.
The poet is at her best when she connects personal memory to cultural trauma as in The Waiting Tree, a haunting meditation on the Chibok girls or when she reclaims grief as political ground (Sad Song for a Nation). These are poems that honor “sleeves rolled up / and boots tied high,” the unseen work of women who made space for today’s hammers to reach the glass ceiling.
As a reader, I didn’t just see myself in the poems, I felt myself in the ache of joints, the edge of memory, and the quiet courage of survival. But I also wanted more. More space. More poems that say, with unflinching pride: we are still here. We have always been here. Although, I found a couple of prose in the book that somewhat were not poetic but almost like reading through a journal. However, the entire book leaves a mark.
In this way, Night of the Hawk is not just a poetry collection. It's a partial restoration. It acknowledges us, yes. It gives us a poem. But it also reminds us that the work is ongoing, that poetry, like society, must continue to look back with reverence and down with gratitude or risk building its future on a cracked foundation. I recommend this book to those who ever feel unseen, have a knack for spiritual forces, or who are looking for open-minded poems to read. This poetry collection may just be for you.
November 26, 2024
Absolutely moving. Lovely.
May 1, 2024
MY THOUGHTS -
These poems are full of emotion! Anger, sadness, hurt, despair, need, sometimes revenge... but always heartfelt! They stirred up feelings for me. Some of them bringing tears to my eyes.
You can tell the author/poet has gone through some stuff! It is in every poem of this book. There is no guessing. I knew exactly how she was feeling. I felt like I was inside her head and her heart, feeling her feelings. This poet is not afraid to speak her mind. She wears her feelings on the pages. And I love that about her.
These are the kind of poems that you read one day... put the book down... pick it back up the next day and read them again. Then pick it up again a week or two later and read them again. And each time you will take away something different, possibly something more.
Bravo to the poet for being so brave!
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this from Poetic Book Tours. Thank you!
These poems are full of emotion! Anger, sadness, hurt, despair, need, sometimes revenge... but always heartfelt! They stirred up feelings for me. Some of them bringing tears to my eyes.
You can tell the author/poet has gone through some stuff! It is in every poem of this book. There is no guessing. I knew exactly how she was feeling. I felt like I was inside her head and her heart, feeling her feelings. This poet is not afraid to speak her mind. She wears her feelings on the pages. And I love that about her.
These are the kind of poems that you read one day... put the book down... pick it back up the next day and read them again. Then pick it up again a week or two later and read them again. And each time you will take away something different, possibly something more.
Bravo to the poet for being so brave!
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this from Poetic Book Tours. Thank you!
May 16, 2024
The poems and life story contained in this collection, remind us all that we're human and the experiences that we have individually and collectively shape who we are. She uses vivid words to capture emotions in every line while presenting many intense themes from her life along the way.
One of my favorite pieces from this collection is called 'You Know Things' and is a reflective piece about being judged and the emotion of when others think they know you or can help you, but they don't understand. I believe there are lots of ways to look at this poem, but that's how it felt for me.
If you're a fan of poetry, I'd recommend checking this one out!
One of my favorite pieces from this collection is called 'You Know Things' and is a reflective piece about being judged and the emotion of when others think they know you or can help you, but they don't understand. I believe there are lots of ways to look at this poem, but that's how it felt for me.
If you're a fan of poetry, I'd recommend checking this one out!
April 8, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. Most of this collection was not written for me, which is more than okay; not everything is for everything and poetry is subjective. I will say "Ode" is a phenomenal poem, one of the best I've read, really, and I wish this collection had had more of that energy.
"A Sea of Kisses" was a cute very brief poem that felt stylish, fun, and playful. "Wolves" was a beautiful memorial for a friend and the grief at the loss of their presence, humor, and wit. I felt touched by it.
That said, a lot of these poems very much felt like they could have been refined or rewritten. At one point in the poem "Ziggy" where the author laments a relationship that ended with a man who accused her of "needing always to be right" and "being judgmental" and I cringed because that's actually mostly how this poetry collection had made her come across up to that point.
In a lot of these poems Lauren Martin feels like she has something to prove, and also like she needs you to know what the poem is about and what the proper takeaway for it is; like you're being guided along by the hand. There's little to no trust in the reader.
It also has turns of very delicate and personal writings about her family like the "As The Bow Breaks" poems about her father or father figure. Part four was particularly touching, painting a vivid picture of a complex and nuanced relationship with a lot of love and tenderness along with regrets, baggage, and looming grief. Or the poem Mother, which was a sweet love letter to the poet's mother.
Unfortunately it also takes dives in several poems, where we're confronted with boomer-ish fake deep platitudes, complaints about the hypocrisies of woke culture, and the likes. I was particularly annoyed at the poem "Montera" because honestly the author clearly goes to lengths to talk about her spirituality, talk about her shamanistic journey, than dedicates a poem to complaining that people ask her about it. I mean, maybe don't base your entire public identity around your shamanism and then people won't ask you about it? Also how can you guide anybody along a shamanistic path or healing journey if you're unwilling to engage in conversations where your shamanism is brought up beyond scoffing and rolling your eyes that people are asking you about it?
Overall there is talent here and a worthwhile poetic voice that bleeds through in several of the pieces but it could have used more refining and tailoring before publication. I would love to see Lauren Martin continue to write poetry and evolve her voice because when she lets herself tap into something real, she can hammer out a magnificent poem like "Ode" or pop out something cheeky and cute like "A Sea of Kisses" but there's a lot of obnoxious filler material that could be cut here, too.
"A Sea of Kisses" was a cute very brief poem that felt stylish, fun, and playful. "Wolves" was a beautiful memorial for a friend and the grief at the loss of their presence, humor, and wit. I felt touched by it.
That said, a lot of these poems very much felt like they could have been refined or rewritten. At one point in the poem "Ziggy" where the author laments a relationship that ended with a man who accused her of "needing always to be right" and "being judgmental" and I cringed because that's actually mostly how this poetry collection had made her come across up to that point.
In a lot of these poems Lauren Martin feels like she has something to prove, and also like she needs you to know what the poem is about and what the proper takeaway for it is; like you're being guided along by the hand. There's little to no trust in the reader.
It also has turns of very delicate and personal writings about her family like the "As The Bow Breaks" poems about her father or father figure. Part four was particularly touching, painting a vivid picture of a complex and nuanced relationship with a lot of love and tenderness along with regrets, baggage, and looming grief. Or the poem Mother, which was a sweet love letter to the poet's mother.
Unfortunately it also takes dives in several poems, where we're confronted with boomer-ish fake deep platitudes, complaints about the hypocrisies of woke culture, and the likes. I was particularly annoyed at the poem "Montera" because honestly the author clearly goes to lengths to talk about her spirituality, talk about her shamanistic journey, than dedicates a poem to complaining that people ask her about it. I mean, maybe don't base your entire public identity around your shamanism and then people won't ask you about it? Also how can you guide anybody along a shamanistic path or healing journey if you're unwilling to engage in conversations where your shamanism is brought up beyond scoffing and rolling your eyes that people are asking you about it?
Overall there is talent here and a worthwhile poetic voice that bleeds through in several of the pieces but it could have used more refining and tailoring before publication. I would love to see Lauren Martin continue to write poetry and evolve her voice because when she lets herself tap into something real, she can hammer out a magnificent poem like "Ode" or pop out something cheeky and cute like "A Sea of Kisses" but there's a lot of obnoxious filler material that could be cut here, too.
May 17, 2024
This is my favorite kind of poetry. Poems that speak of the woman's experience, of family, of everything that makes us happy, or sad, in our lives. Moments that are sometimes tragic, sometimes joyful...and often somewhere in between.
The poem below really spoke to me. I had to share it in its entirety. As a postmenopausal woman myself, I can certainly relate to it. Women beyond that "expiration date" are often forgotten, or our opinions seem at times to not matter, as they mattered once. Still, there are those who know that we came before and that our voices do still matter.
MY EXPERIENCE AS A POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMAN
Is we are ignored
Everywhere - even in poetry
Somehow not romantic or feminist
enough
Our wisdom excluded as undignified
As undignified as women running into the cold night with hot
flashes peeling layers
"We're not helping men into the
conversation by making them feel
emasculated" I say
And experience a new version of "blame the victim."
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
I am told that I lack some insight that is
honored and reflected in youth rather
must reflect my inability as an
"old feminist" to differentiate between my
"internalized misogyny" and what is
unbalanced
To be told that you have no idea when
We paved the way
When I am standing on the shoulders
of my own mother
You don't see me
And maybe that's because you're
Not looking down
To the foundation of my shoulders
To the years of my sleeves rolled up
And boots tied high
At rallies and secret activist meetings
Countless abuses of power
Soul changing assaults
I can see the context of our culture
Then and now
And am happy you are bashing
The door open
Breaking the
Glass ceiling
But it's not because we didn't try
Of course we did
Our height lets you touch
the glass with
your hammer
Another poem that struck me, "OF TIMES TRAVELLED" because of this verse...
So the choice is
Lonely alone
or Lonely with
And how many women
Feel this
Or are discounted for their substance
Since my divorce 10 years ago, I have chosen to remain alone. Going along with what the verse says, I'd rather be lonely alone than lonely when I'm with someone. And you know what...I'm not really lonely.
This book of poems is an excellent volume to add to anyone's poetry collection. It is certainly going to be added to mine.
The poem below really spoke to me. I had to share it in its entirety. As a postmenopausal woman myself, I can certainly relate to it. Women beyond that "expiration date" are often forgotten, or our opinions seem at times to not matter, as they mattered once. Still, there are those who know that we came before and that our voices do still matter.
MY EXPERIENCE AS A POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMAN
Is we are ignored
Everywhere - even in poetry
Somehow not romantic or feminist
enough
Our wisdom excluded as undignified
As undignified as women running into the cold night with hot
flashes peeling layers
"We're not helping men into the
conversation by making them feel
emasculated" I say
And experience a new version of "blame the victim."
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
I am told that I lack some insight that is
honored and reflected in youth rather
must reflect my inability as an
"old feminist" to differentiate between my
"internalized misogyny" and what is
unbalanced
To be told that you have no idea when
We paved the way
When I am standing on the shoulders
of my own mother
You don't see me
And maybe that's because you're
Not looking down
To the foundation of my shoulders
To the years of my sleeves rolled up
And boots tied high
At rallies and secret activist meetings
Countless abuses of power
Soul changing assaults
I can see the context of our culture
Then and now
And am happy you are bashing
The door open
Breaking the
Glass ceiling
But it's not because we didn't try
Of course we did
Our height lets you touch
the glass with
your hammer
Another poem that struck me, "OF TIMES TRAVELLED" because of this verse...
So the choice is
Lonely alone
or Lonely with
And how many women
Feel this
Or are discounted for their substance
Since my divorce 10 years ago, I have chosen to remain alone. Going along with what the verse says, I'd rather be lonely alone than lonely when I'm with someone. And you know what...I'm not really lonely.
This book of poems is an excellent volume to add to anyone's poetry collection. It is certainly going to be added to mine.
May 4, 2024
Night of the Hawk by Lauren Martin is a deeply resonant collection that explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and resilience with raw honesty and unapologetic vulnerability. Author Martin's poetic voice is both haunting and empowering as she delves into the untold stories of the marginalised and the misunderstood, inviting readers to confront the realities of illness, loss, and societal injustice.
Throughout the collection, the author grapples with themes of isolation and yearning for connection, drawing inspiration from her own experiences living with chronic illness and navigating a path outside the mainstream. Her words are infused with a sense of urgency, urging readers to confront uncomfortable truths and embrace the power of empathy and compassion.
What sets Night of the Hawk apart is its unwavering commitment to authenticity and self-discovery. The author fearlessly confronts the challenges of living apart from societal norms, weaving together personal narratives with universal themes of resilience and hope. From the evocative imagery of nature to the poignant exploration of love and loss, each poem in this collection is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of storytelling.
I would recommend this book to all poetry enthusiasts, as I feel author Martin's poetic style and words resonate with a timeless wisdom that speaks to the universal human experience.
Throughout the collection, the author grapples with themes of isolation and yearning for connection, drawing inspiration from her own experiences living with chronic illness and navigating a path outside the mainstream. Her words are infused with a sense of urgency, urging readers to confront uncomfortable truths and embrace the power of empathy and compassion.
What sets Night of the Hawk apart is its unwavering commitment to authenticity and self-discovery. The author fearlessly confronts the challenges of living apart from societal norms, weaving together personal narratives with universal themes of resilience and hope. From the evocative imagery of nature to the poignant exploration of love and loss, each poem in this collection is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of storytelling.
I would recommend this book to all poetry enthusiasts, as I feel author Martin's poetic style and words resonate with a timeless wisdom that speaks to the universal human experience.
April 23, 2024
The book as a meal: I have not been eating today because I have been at rallies for human rights
The book left me: Wanting to go out and help people in tough situations
Why did this call out to me?
I was in a mood for some stories about people in tough situations, this seemed to fit the bill, and indeed it did
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. Devoured in one sitting.
Issues:
Might need some more refining
A lot of filler material ...
Good things:
Solid collection of poems
Touched more upon spirituality, which I am very open to learn more about
How did it feel to read?
Felt like another reflection around my relationships with people in my life. This time it was a reflection on the toxic ones, but also the most nuanced and complicated relationships
What mood would I read this in?
A very specific angry and disappointed kind of mood, where I wish people would treat each other better and maybe stop judging each other for things they don't understand
Where does this fall in my tier list ranking?
B tier, good collection and lots of diverse poems.
Favorite poems:
as the bow breaks
my experience as a post meonpausal woman
as the bow breaks, part two
the waiting tree
of times travelled
ziggy
a sea of kisses
The book left me: Wanting to go out and help people in tough situations
Why did this call out to me?
I was in a mood for some stories about people in tough situations, this seemed to fit the bill, and indeed it did
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. Devoured in one sitting.
Issues:
Might need some more refining
A lot of filler material ...
Good things:
Solid collection of poems
Touched more upon spirituality, which I am very open to learn more about
How did it feel to read?
Felt like another reflection around my relationships with people in my life. This time it was a reflection on the toxic ones, but also the most nuanced and complicated relationships
What mood would I read this in?
A very specific angry and disappointed kind of mood, where I wish people would treat each other better and maybe stop judging each other for things they don't understand
Where does this fall in my tier list ranking?
B tier, good collection and lots of diverse poems.
Favorite poems:
as the bow breaks
my experience as a post meonpausal woman
as the bow breaks, part two
the waiting tree
of times travelled
ziggy
a sea of kisses
June 15, 2024
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
👉🏻“Night of the Hawk” is a deeply resonant collection that highlights the complexities of identity, belonging, and resilience. The poems are characterized by their raw honesty, intimacy, and political tone, making them both reflective and powerful.
👉🏻The collection has been praised for its ability to tell the untold stories of marginalized groups, including those who have been victims of abuse, are ill, or are facing other forms of adversity. Martin's poetry is often described as haunting and powerful, with her voice both luminous and angelic.
👉🏻Martin's work is not limited to his poetry collections. He is also a psychotherapist and has dedicated himself to the practice of Ìyânífá, a spiritual tradition that emphasizes personal growth and self-awareness. This diverse background and his experiences as a social worker have likely influenced his writing and the themes explored in his poetry.
👉🏻“Night of the Hawk” is a testament to his skill as a poet and his ability to explore complex subjects with complete honesty and power.
👉🏻HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 💫
👉🏻“Night of the Hawk” is a deeply resonant collection that highlights the complexities of identity, belonging, and resilience. The poems are characterized by their raw honesty, intimacy, and political tone, making them both reflective and powerful.
👉🏻The collection has been praised for its ability to tell the untold stories of marginalized groups, including those who have been victims of abuse, are ill, or are facing other forms of adversity. Martin's poetry is often described as haunting and powerful, with her voice both luminous and angelic.
👉🏻Martin's work is not limited to his poetry collections. He is also a psychotherapist and has dedicated himself to the practice of Ìyânífá, a spiritual tradition that emphasizes personal growth and self-awareness. This diverse background and his experiences as a social worker have likely influenced his writing and the themes explored in his poetry.
👉🏻“Night of the Hawk” is a testament to his skill as a poet and his ability to explore complex subjects with complete honesty and power.
👉🏻HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 💫
May 7, 2024
First, I want to thank the author and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I was hopeful about this book, as it is the kind of poetry that I admire. The subjects are raw, vulnerable, and challenging. Though there are stanzas that I did enjoy - overall I found these difficult to follow. The author's thoughts seemed to go from place to place, rather than in a linear story in her poems. I could tell that each poem was meant to tell specific stories, but most of them I struggled to follow.
I do think Lauren Martin is a talented poet and writer, but the organization of these pieces made it difficult to connect with as a reader.
"So the choice is
Lonely alone
Or lonely with
And How many women
Feel this
Or are discounted for their
Substance"
I was hopeful about this book, as it is the kind of poetry that I admire. The subjects are raw, vulnerable, and challenging. Though there are stanzas that I did enjoy - overall I found these difficult to follow. The author's thoughts seemed to go from place to place, rather than in a linear story in her poems. I could tell that each poem was meant to tell specific stories, but most of them I struggled to follow.
I do think Lauren Martin is a talented poet and writer, but the organization of these pieces made it difficult to connect with as a reader.
"So the choice is
Lonely alone
Or lonely with
And How many women
Feel this
Or are discounted for their
Substance"
December 11, 2025
Building Alexandria is a beautifully layered poetry collection that blends texture, metaphor, and shifting identity in such an unforgettable way. Clarissa Adkins pulls readers into a world where everyday American experiences are twisted, reshaped, and elevated through surreal imagery.
What stood out to me most was how each poem feels like an entirely new lens sometimes intimate and whisper-soft, other times philosophical and piercing. The variety is stunning, yet every piece still connects back to the book’s central idea of building, unbuilding, and rebuilding the self.
A mesmerizing collection that surprises, challenges, and lingers. A must-read for lovers of textured, thoughtful poetry.
What stood out to me most was how each poem feels like an entirely new lens sometimes intimate and whisper-soft, other times philosophical and piercing. The variety is stunning, yet every piece still connects back to the book’s central idea of building, unbuilding, and rebuilding the self.
A mesmerizing collection that surprises, challenges, and lingers. A must-read for lovers of textured, thoughtful poetry.
May 30, 2024
Wow - what a collection of incredible poetry. I felt like each poem described things - both beautiful and painful - that I too have experienced or felt personally. The prose is expertly written and the messages are insightful and moving. Have read a few of my favorites over and over again. This is a book I'll keep nearby for years to come. Highly, highly recommend to anyone because even though it speaks to broad subjects, it is all accessible.
August 14, 2024
Night of the Hawk is a book of poetry that describes the lives and experiences of women. Every part of a person’s life is written in these poems, whether it be about joyful or unpleasant things. Each poem is complex with emotion and is written in great prose. I enjoyed several of the poems and was overall very enthralled with each one. Martin displays an incredible voice and will be your next favorite poetry!
May 13, 2024
Lauren Martin's poetry collection, "Night of the Hawk," is a poignant exploration of the human experience, delving into themes of resilience, identity, and the search for connection. Through her evocative verses, Martin invites readers to journey alongside her as she navigates the complexities of life, grappling with issues such as illness, marginalization, and the longing for understanding. One of the striking elements of the collection is Martin's adept use of rhyme and meter, which lend a musical quality to her words, enhancing the emotional impact of each poem. From free verse to structured forms, Martin demonstrates a mastery of poetic technique, seamlessly weaving together diverse subjects with a unifying thread of introspection and empathy.
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
May 21, 2024
You don’t need to know anything about the mystical tradition of Ifá to appreciate Martin’s evocative poems. Perhaps you will learn something about this African religion. But it doesn’t matter if you don’t. Most important, if you are open, is that you may learn something about yourself.
June 1, 2024
I was unsure of what to expect when I selected this book. I enjoyed some of the pieces but there were some that felt a little too stream-of-conscious and could use some editing. Overall, it was a good collection of poetry. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
January 6, 2025
What an amazing poet! Totally readable and relatable. I loved it.
April 29, 2024
Some texts are extremely deep, captivating, and rich in meaning even when they are stripped down to the bone in length. Unfortunately, other texts fail to hit the point of the issue being addressed, almost as if it's not something the author truly felt compelled to convey to their readers through their poetic compositions. The result is a book with a super captivating and mysterious title, a collection of poems that aim to tell the life of their poet, and above all, a heterogeneous mix of themes and outcomes. I expected something more, or perhaps something simply more personal that transcended the clichés of often self-indulgent poetic narration.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!
November 11, 2024
"Night of the Hawk: Poems" is a heartwarming, thoughtful, and powerful poetry collection by author Lauren Martin. In this book, the author has shared her personal experiences, including love, loss, chronic illness, abuse, aging, and misogyny. The poems also discuss Ifa (Yoruba religion) and Shamanism.
In the poem "My Experience as a Postmenopausal Woman," the author talks about how older women are overlooked and ignored. In "Spirochete," she compares Lyme disease to an addict cousin who attacks and hits her daily and monthly.
The poem "The Waiting Tree" mourns the kidnapping of the Nigerian Chibok schoolgirls in 2014. I liked the poem "Ode" and found the poems "As the Bow Breaks, Part Four" and "And One Day You Will Dance" to be inspiring and full of hope.
The standout aspect of this poetry book is the author's honesty and raw emotions, which have given more depth to the poetry. While some poems are short and others are longer, they cover various topics and will inspire readers.
The poems in "Night of the Hawk: Poems" will sink deep into your mind and leave a lasting impression.
It is a must-read for poetry lovers.
In the poem "My Experience as a Postmenopausal Woman," the author talks about how older women are overlooked and ignored. In "Spirochete," she compares Lyme disease to an addict cousin who attacks and hits her daily and monthly.
The poem "The Waiting Tree" mourns the kidnapping of the Nigerian Chibok schoolgirls in 2014. I liked the poem "Ode" and found the poems "As the Bow Breaks, Part Four" and "And One Day You Will Dance" to be inspiring and full of hope.
The standout aspect of this poetry book is the author's honesty and raw emotions, which have given more depth to the poetry. While some poems are short and others are longer, they cover various topics and will inspire readers.
The poems in "Night of the Hawk: Poems" will sink deep into your mind and leave a lasting impression.
It is a must-read for poetry lovers.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews