Heavy is the Head

by Sumaya Enyegue

“Where does all the grief go when it’s not tugging at your wrist?” Enyegue’s debut collection is an ode to girlhood, to Blackness, to generational trauma, sexual assault, and mental health.
 
This collection does not aim to heal anyone who reads it, but instead help them confront their own healing. Rather than sugar-coated bullets that enter you lightly, these poems are designed to hurt. They are for the girls with difficult names, the boys with softness at their core, and the people with neither. They are meant for the people who are Black, and the people who are not—because we are all tethered together by the heaviness of the human experience.

 

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made some failed attempts previously trying to read the sun and her flowers and The Princess Saves Herself in This One. I thought poetry wasn't for me. And then I read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which isn't exactly that, but blew my mind in so many ways.

Some of these resonated with me more than others. The prevailing feelings of Blackness, whether good, bad, or sad, are present throughout these poems. This is not lighthearted. There are very heavy topics here, including abuse. But there is also beauty. Because to be Black, or other, or anything at all, is to be a multitude of things.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and moving. A great book of contemporary poetry.

[Sumaya Enyegue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a little biased because I wrote it but :)

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible poetry! Even if you think you won’t like any poetry, read this. I am speechless. One of the most incredible things I’ve ever read in my life. Honestly.

I was moved and so powerfully impacted. I’m struggling to write a review that gives this writer credit deserved. My review followers know I don’t very often read or review poetry, so why did I read this? I was intrigued immensely by the subject matter and wanted to keep an open mind. This doesn’t read like poetry to me, not how many of us picture poetry to be. This is a book of the power of words to describe unimaginable pain and situations that millions of women feel and face, and have faced. It blew my freaking mind.

Blew my freaking mind. Just to repeat that truth.

“Where does all the grief go when it’s not tugging at your wrist?” Enyegue’s debut collection is an ode to girlhood, to Blackness, to generational trauma, sexual assault, and mental health.

I highlighted so much, too much to share and I just want to shout that everyone needs to read this. I am so proud to support this brilliant writer and the independent publisher who recognised her words needed to go global. May it be a bestseller. This gifted woman from South Africa was born to write. #OwnVoices at its best.

I’ll just share this from her book…

WHEN A BLACK GIRL DIES, THE LAST THING TO DECOMPOSE IS HER HEART.

Sumaya writes from the torn heart and shredded soul and holds nothing back. Each piece of writing is unique yet each message brutally honest and it tore me up. She writes of the truth of the struggles of being a black girl, a black woman. The centuries of pain of how people, especially men can be so cruel. This is NOT a BLM shout~out but the truth of a woman’s own journey in beautiful black skin that to her doesn’t feel beautiful at all. As a white woman I’ll not pretend to get it, but as a woman I did. I cried more than once. I also hurt for the persecution of black people. Her telling of bullets hitting yet another black person made me think how crap it is that it’s still happening today. Racism is still out there, no denying it.

Her outpourings should be lyrics to songs, seriously people. I was deeply impacted by her telling from the abuse of men and in particular how it feels to be raped, abused and tossed aside. To be stripped of all innocence and precious, special things only a woman knows about. I was so moved as a sexual assault survivor. Sumaya expresses what millions of women cannot speak about in this incredible book. She tells the harsh truth that is so relatable if you’ve suffered anything she shares.

She tackles lack of self~love, self~esteem, the inability to feel okay, to belong, to know and be your authentic self. Everyone could relate to something here. I was stunned from start to finish. Even shaken up. I want to meet this amazing writer who took her personal writings and let the world see into her heart and soul. It’s a must read folks. It’s not a long book and each story has its own style and story. This is powerful stuff and it impacted me deeply. I pray her words reach millions who need to read them and know they are not alone with the deep rips inside their souls, the wounds not yet healed, if ever.

Ten stars. Without question. I’ll be buying a hard copy of this ARC to read over and over and I rarely ever read anything twice. Bravo Sumaya. I heard you girl. I heard you.

Thank you to Sumaya, Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC.

Thanks so much for reading my review of this book. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book! I love to connect with other readers.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so raw and honest and beautiful and heartfelt.

This collection tackles so many different issues and challenges that we of a different generation, race and age are facing today. I am so blessed to have read this book as I am in a very vulnerable environment for the past few months. I am not okay and I thought reading books that bring you the exact feeling of anxiety and uncertainty would not help much. How wrong I was!

No internet for the past three months and most of the precious advance reader copies have already expired by the time I had to reinstall the NetGalley app. This book was still hanging there and I read it on its publishing day! I am so glad and indeed glad that this book has been waiting for me the entire time.

If you love the writing of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace like I do, I am sure you will love this book. It has so much to offer. I read this book in a sitting which I usually do not recommend for such type of content but I just couldn’t help myself.

Pages after pages I wasn’t ready when the book ended.

There’s a lot of reality here which when others read would feel like it’s someone else’s story. But when you read this book and explore the themes each poetry/content has, you will find areas which fit into your reality as well. That’s what made this book so different and interesting.

I will not get enough of this book. Take your time. Treat yourself with care and kindness. That’s what the book is ultimately trying to convey. Do read this book and listen to what it is trying to tell you.

I feel so comforted and understood.

Thank you, Central Avenue Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

[Charleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal poetry collection. I loved this so so much and it’s now one of my new favourite collections. Everything about it was fantastic and I’m beyond excited to see what comes next for the author.

Powerful and often gut wrenching poetry. The words were stunning even with the difficult subject matters. The choice of the language fitted together perfectly.

My personal favourites were - ‘rearranging my traumas’, ‘instructions for loving your friends’ and ‘chant’. Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for the pleasure of reading and reviewing this beautiful collection.

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to write a review that would do this justice, but I have to leave my words tucked on the shelf after reading Sumaya’s. One of the best poetry collections I’ve ever read. There’s no point in even highlighting standout quotes because of the sheer number of them. Thank you.

[K. ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

LISTEN TO THIS BOOK NOW! I was absolutely captivated by Sumaya's voice and the way she truly brought the imagery of her poems to life by just her voice alone. This is definitely going to be a re-listen for me in the future because this was phenomenal!

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for this arc.

This collection was really vulnerable and you can tell the author was super passionate about sharing stories that i feel alot of readers will relate to this book touched down on such important topics and i really enjoyed it i felt i was reading a long essay that was beautifully written regarding different topics. My favorite kind of novels are the ones that come from the strength , vulnerability and sharing important stories. Great book!

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best poetry books I’ve read in awhile.

[Fatima Anwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Name: Heavy is the Head
Author: Sumaya Enyegue
Genre: Poetry &Prose
My Rating: 4.5/5

Trigger Warning: This book deals with topics of sexual assault, violence against bipoc, and struggles with mental health. please take care.

Review:
"Black girl must write poetry so other black girls can relate."

The poems speak of crimes against women, slavery, racism, the pains and wounds that the people carry, the scars that remain in their body and brain.

"Tell me about the bad blood, and I will tell you that there’s no such thing as good blood. only thick blood. only blood that’s forced to stay—only gaping wounds."

Here, the poems are a form of passive aggression, a rage originating from the pain and discrimination that generations of people carry within, in their bones, in their skin and in their blood.

"Why is everyone I love so fluid?
How do they slip through my fingers no matter how tightly I close my fists?
Admitting I’m sad feels like a betrayal to all the things I once survived, everything I once outlasted.
Everything I’ve ever called beautiful is now collateral damage."

This book found a special place in my heart. Each poetry is unique, and each has a profound effect on my soul. I could hear her cry and her silence. Her poems are relatable, and  they evoke the feeling of oneness through the same situations we have been through.

[WHEN A BLACK GIRL DIES, THE LAST THING TO DECOMPOSE IS HER HEART.]

The poet uses different styles of poetry to speak her mind. I think it is a book one should read, not because this is an intriguing book, but because i believe that the poet's words deserve to be heard, to be read, and to be understood.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. My review and opinion of this book are not biased in any way.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley.

Stunning debut. One of the best poetry collections I’ve ever read.

Sumaya doesn’t just write poetry, she paints a scene before your eyes that is constantly evolving before you can even understand it. The beauty of her poetry is that there are layers and layers to the imagery and language that the reader could spend lifetimes unravelling.

[Lizzie Hammang · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

📚 Heavy is the Head - Sumaya Enyegue 📚

Heavy is the Head is a thought-provoking, emotionally charged collection of poetry which encompasses some very heavy themes, including womanhood, Blackness, racism, sexism, and mental health. It is bold, honest and impactful in its approach to tackling these topics and offers incredible insight into the human experience.

Whilst I am not a person of colour, I definitely resonated with so much Enyegue had to say, especially regarding topics of grief and the trauma experience. The prose is lyrical, evocative and intensely powerful in its portrayal of these themes. My heart was definitely left hurting, but yet yearning for more.

What you can expect:
🌺 #ownvoices poetry collection
🌺 An ode to Blackness
🌺 Generational trauma
🌺 Brutal honesty

An extremely vulnerable and honest exploration of some very heavy themes, so please keep that in mind before reading. But if you’re in the right space, I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to @netgalley @sumayapoetry and @centavebooks for sending me this to review 🙏🏻

[Soula Kosti · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Heavy is the Head, Sumaya Enyegue explores in her poetry themes of womanhood, Blackness, racism and sexism, love and heartache, and mental health.

Favorite poems:
- GIRLHOOD
- REARRANGING MY TRAUMAS
- CONFESSIONS OF A BEAST
- MISSING PERSONS REPORT
- IS THIS THE LIFE YOU WANTED?
- [WHEN A BLACK GIRL DIES, THE LAST THING TO DECOMPOSE IS HER HEART.]
- PEACHES
- GIRLHOOD PT. 3
- JUST ONE OF THE BOYS
- LANGUAGE
- POST-WAR
- PRETTY FOR A BLACK GIRL
- DELIRIUM
- HOW LOVELY IT IS TO BE BLACK
- HYPOTHETICALLY, OF COURSE
- SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
- BLACK GIRL LOSES HER TEMPER
- SYMPTOMS OF WOMANHOOD

"The last person I adored made me
cry and then tenderly wiped the
tears of my face. It was the only
lesson he ever taught me; you can
love someone and still do horrible,
cruel things to them."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review

A brutal and mesmerizing look at childhood trauma and growing up as a black girl. Enyegue's master of lyricism and prose is an incredible asset to her storytelling. Some of the unnamed poems in-between had an air of "unfinished" about them which interrupted the flow of the collection, but otherwise this was an impeccable debut.

My favorite poems are: "Rearranging My Traumas", "Chant", and "That Pit In Your Stomach Is Just The Hole I Carved When I Left."

[Kate Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not an easy read.
The poetry and prose is full of deep and hard-hitting themes and topics.
The way Enyegue writes is full of emotion and although I may not have been personally affected by some of the topics of this book, the empathy I felt while reading was immense.

[Paige Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy Is The Head is a beautiful and exhausting collection in its work with blackness, womanhood, and black womanhood. The speaker confronts gender violence and race violence, mixed feelings about motherhood, and the ongoing challenge of trying to take up space as a black woman without offending the entire world. (I’d like to add here that as a white woman, I can neither comprehend nor effectively critique the expression of the female black experience as presented in this collection; I can merely respond to the work and assess the poetry itself while trying to frame it somewhat within the bounds to which I have fair claim, which is white womanhood). The speaker navigates fear and sorrow and sprays the whole thing in a fine mist of female rage, which is both effective and encouraging. We can see ourselves in some of these lines.

But every morning I have to wake / up and do my best impression of a moving target (Disposable)

You come here trying to make a meal out of me? / I will eat you alive. (Dark Chocolate)

You’re not always blameless. Sometimes you speak. Sometimes you leave the / house. Sometimes you say no and mean it. Each time you get uglier…/ You’re not guiltless, sometimes you breathe. (Scapegoat)

I feel most woman when I’m bleeding all over the carpet. There is nothing I / know better than to blend in with the scenery, than to make violence tender. (Girlhood, pt. 2)

The speaker expertly uses language in these areas to evoke emotion and address experiences that have been simultaneously buried and unearthed thousands of times. It is not an easy read for this reason; if your life as a woman is complicated, or you are wrestling with your womanhood as you enter adulthood, Heavy Is The Head does not allow its reader to escape unaffected by its assessment of the female—and the black female—perspective.

However, weaknesses arrive regularly in the form of a recurring ex; the poet’s conception of love and devotion to this character seem somewhat trivial and showcase some of the weakest and most imprecise work of the collection.

I place my tongue to the roof of my mouth / and say love, but your name comes out instead. / Your name, / also four letters. / Your name, / everything I want. ([Blank])

I hope you tell them about how you woke up one morning to discover I was / gone, / almost as if I was never really there, / leaving behind only the realization, / that I finally did it: / I finally left. (That Pit In Your Stomach Is Just The Hole I Carved When I Left)

It was going so well until you had to go and ruin it by calling me your dream / girl.
…
You tasted like / the rest of my life. I just wasn’t starving anymore. (Dream Girl)

The age and subsequent wealth of experience of the poet is obvious in these lines in a way that it is not in lines and stanzas that face womanhood and blackness with ferocity and grief. Rather, in lines meant clearly to convey longing and depression about the loss of this relationship, as well as anger, we are introduced to a speaker who seems palpably twenty-something, openly Gen Z. It is in these lines that the work becomes less accessible as it becomes more specific. Part of the excellence of the poems on blackness, girlhood, womanhood, familial structure, and the complicated relationships between women and the men in their lives is that we as readers can see ourselves in the language. We are familiar with the feeling of exiting our homes and knowing we are not safe, and familiar with being used and managing the expectations to be soft and nurturing. Poetry does not have to be relatable, nor does it have to be for anyone beyond the speaker. However, I argue that Heavy Is The Head finds its achievement in its communication of these immense experiences with the reader; to then exclude the reader by means of personal specificities is disappointing. There are lines that are reminiscent of the brainchild behind Rupi Kaur’s work: that mundanity (especially in language) such as leaving are poetic, or that the unique (and possibly infuriating) experience of being referred to as someone’s dream girl is universal. The violence, rejection, and abandonment characterized in these particular poems is more tangible to the average reader, but it becomes lost in the adherence to detail the speaker’s own life. Further, the uniqueness of some of these poems create a divide in the collection, which begins to feel as if it is three quarters about one thing, and one quarter about an early twenties break up.

Overall, the front half of Heavy Is The Head largely glows, while its second portion becomes somewhat less impressive as it reflects an individual personal life in almost equal measure to the broader and altogether more relatable challenge of being a woman.

Once again, my review does not fully assess the work here in relation to its analysis of blackness and brownness, as I cannot speak to these in the realm of being a personal relatable experience.

[Amber Campbell]

**Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I was not emotionally prepared for the poetry that is Sumaya Enyegue, so this is me preparing you for it.

It took me 5 days to get through about 100 pages of poetry. Most poetry, I read within an hour or two. I could not do it with HEAVY IS THE HEAD. I related to half of it, every poem about broken and bruised women, and the other half I could only sympathize with, relying on my whiteness to spare me further pain from my womanhood that all non-white women face.

There are quite a few poems that I reread, namely "No one is looking, I promise" (we are most ourselves when we see the fear, anxiety, and trauma and validate our emotions by feeling as we need to), "Promise me" (accepting the break-up so long as we reserve that type of love for each other instead of repurposing it for another), "We are Owed" (everything women have lost because they are women, especially if they are black women, and how we forever wait for an apology that cannot speak), and "Bondage" (true love is never letting go because true love won't need to leave to know where it wants to come back to).

The style is conversational, but the voice is powerful. Each time the voice seeks asylum and apologies, the need for safety catapults into a fiery fist that even if safety is provided, they will create their own. They will no longer beg for protection, but they will not be the reason others need protection. They know they are worthy even if the world points out their skin and their genitals and their traumatic pasts as though that was anything a victim could control.

The writing will send you into a spiral of your own experiences and truths, and I cannot wait for more for Enyegue.

[the vault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Enyegue demonstrates her ability to be the next unstoppable voice of our generation. She shows immense talent and creativity throughout this collection, however these fantastic and creative poems are overshadowed by the many "instagram" style poems used to thicken the spine of this book. I think this collection does her beautiful writing voice no favours and wish that there were more poems that were unique and creative and seemed to actually mean something to the author, rather than quick thoughts that were jotted down and never expanded on every 10 pages or so to fill in the gaps of this collection. I don't think this collection needed to be this long, I think we could have cut out those pages that had one sentence with a half formed thought and had a book that was maybe 80-90 pages and it could have been so great.

While I found that some poems were half-formed, I did still manage to find some poems that I really liked. My favourite poems from this collection were:
-Girlhood
-Rearranging my traumas
-Confessions of a beast
-Am I next?
-African idioms I keep tucked under my tongue
-Girlhood, Pt. 3
-My anxiety keeps telling me that everyone I love is dead
-Just one of the boys
-A poem in which I replace the word bitch with sister, because the only time men respect women is when they're attracted or related to them

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was the final read of my return to poetry this year, and it was easily the strongest title out of the 7 collections I recently read. In fact, when I started this collection I thought for sure it was going to be an all-around 5-star read, and while it didn’t maintain that status, it was overall a very well-constructed, thoughtful, and emotional collection.

There were truly some wonderful poems in this collection - poems that really resonated with me, really made me feel or think. Enyegue’s voice really shone through here, and it was clear she not only had a lot to say but also many interesting ways of saying those things. The imagery was strong, and the emotion in the words on these pages was felt as well. There were also quite a few poems that were almost there but not quite to the same level as the strongest pieces. This is of course at least somewhat relative, so your mileage may vary here, but I wasn’t pulled emotionally or mentally at the same level all the way through.

There was a bit of the social media-esque thing of having pages here and there throughout the collection with very short poems or single sentences that are not fully formed ideas. While I don’t think these were terrible additions, removing them would have strengthened the collection as a whole.

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I’m happy to have it as the final poetry collection in my 2023 reading. I definitely recommend it to fans of poetry who are looking for something meaningful and moving.

[vicky. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Am I next? This poem isn’t meant to be a sugar-coated bullet that enters you lightly. It’s meant to rip through your skin and enter your flesh unwelcomed. Because like all difficult things, it’s painful to talk about."

No me gusta la poesía, normalmente no conecto con los poemas que leo, no entiendo a dónde quieren llegar o qué quieren transmitir, no siento nada. Pero con Sumaya Enyegue sentí todo. Escuchaba un poema, pausaba el audiolibro y volvía para atrás para volver a escuchar.

Me permití con este poemario tomarme mi tiempo de lectura, escuchar un par de poemas por semana y dejarlo reposar. Esto me hizo tener una experiencia más profunda con esta lectura, me hizo conectar con esta autora, tomarme el tiempo de escucharla, entenderla, acompañarla y sufrir con ella.

Admitting I’m sad feels like a betrayal to all the things I once survived, everything I once outlasted. Everything I ever called beautiful is now collateral damage. I mean, am I actually real if I've not bled in your hands? I mean, sometimes even blood is not a good enough reason to stay.

Heavy is the Head es duro, nos habla del ser mujer, de salud mental, de abuso sexual, de lo que significa ser una persona de color (y más aún ser una mujer de color). Este poemario es sufrimiento, rabia, enojo, esperanza. La primera mitad me gustó más que la segunda.

[Gab · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Oh how I loved this collection.
I have highlighted so many passages, I might have to get a physical copy so I can annotate it more efficiently.

"Rather than sugar-coated bullets that enter you lightly, these poems are designed to hurt" and they do.

I am not good at describing poetry but Sumaya Enyegue is able to phrase things in such a way that forced me to take a moment and reflect on what I've read every few lines (this is a good thing!!!).
Heavy is the Head is vulnerable and powerful, pain and strength at once.


List of my favourite poems:
GIRLHOOD
MISSING PERSONS REPORT
PEACHES
JUST ONE OF THE BOYS
A POEM IN WHICH I REPLACE THE WORD BITCH WITH SISTER BECAUSE THE ONLY TIME MEN RESPECT WOMEN IS WHEN THEY'RE ATTRACTED OR RELATED TO THEM
HOW LOVELY IT IS TO BE BLACK
THE NEXT WAR IS GOING TO KILL US ALL
INSOMNIA
WHITE ACTIVIST EXPLAINS ERASURE TO ME
NOAH DOESN'T TALK ABOUT HIS MOTHER ANYMORE
SYMPTOMS OF WOMANHOOD


TW for the book: topics of sexual assault, violence against women, violence against bipoc, struggles with mental health

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Heavy Is The Head by Sumaya Enyegue, I delved into a powerful and unapologetic collection of poetry that bravely confronts the raw realities of life. Enyegue fearlessly tackles themes like trauma, sexual assault, racism, and mental health, shining a much-needed spotlight on the issues that often linger in the shadows of our society.

Each poem is a poignant exploration of the heaviness carried by individuals, particularly Black people, as they navigate through a world fraught with adversity. Enyegue's words resonate deeply, vividly capturing the painful truths of needless violence, objectification, and the blame placed on victims of sexual assault. Her verses shed light on the struggles of mental health, showing how sometimes all we need is acknowledgment, understanding, and compassion in the battle against anxiety and depression.

As I turned the pages, I couldn't help but feel the weight of these poems, the strength in their vulnerability, and the urgency in their message. Heavy Is The Head is not merely a collection; it is a call to action, urging readers to confront these issues head-on, to empathize, and to work collectively towards healing and change. Sumaya Enyegue's debut is a poetic force that leaves a lasting impact, and I commend her for fearlessly sharing these essential stories with the world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Central Avenue Publishing, for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Enyegue’s debut poetry collection is a force to be reckoned with. A bold, gutting and honest expression of the human experience, girlhood and blackness.

I’ve followed Sumaya Enyegue’s work online for quite a few years now. She has a very distinct and powerful voice that is evident in every piece. This collection was visceral, evocative and comforting. I enjoyed the overarching imagery tying the collection together in a cohesive way.

I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this collection to annotate and tab my favourite pieces. If you like spoken word artists from Button Poetry, you’ll enjoy Sumaya’s collection.

[Kristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to review.

Sumaya Enyegue is a writer I have admired and followed for a few years now, so the prospect of her first collection was exciting and for many, I'm sure, felt like a long time coming. As a debut, however, it appears more to have been crafted for the current 'Instagram poetry' market rather than being a strong reflection of Enyegue's undeniable talent.

This talent appears in pockets of masterful magic and linguistic manipulation in Heavy is the Head. From the superb rendering of anagrams for trauma in 'Rearranging My Traumas', to the haunting structure and repetition in 'There Was A Lynching On My Birthday', and the extended metaphor of colonisation in 'Gentrified', Enyegue proves she wields the potential to be an indomitable voice of her generation.

Unfortunately, this strength, while the collection begins incredibly strong, seems to wain as the majority of this collection is bulked out with poems and sayings which read as unfinished or as filler. The ideas in many of these pieces read like much of poetry published mainly online seems to and this definitely seems to be a commonality between many of the collections Central Avenue Publishing have released in the last few years. And this is a shame because Enyegue is fantastic, but, I'm afraid, this collection does not do her justice.

[Colby Bettley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful and heartbreaking book of poetry I’ve ever read.

Dealing with heavy — but massively important — topics is the forefront of the book and is what each poem is steeped in. Each poem is deeply emotive, even if you don’t relate to the subject matter.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone, but especially those who want to know that our stories are on our skin, and every skin is beautiful. Life is tumultuous and traumatic, but it doesn’t mean you deserve to miss when it isn’t.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy is the Head is a collection of poetry that explores trauma, mental health, and Black girlhood in short, sharp poems that don't shy away from the harshness of life or sugar-coat healing processes. In terms of style, there's some prose poems and others more lyrical, some very short and some playing with form using lists. At times the style of poems wasn't quite what I tend to enjoy, but other poems used words powerfully to present painful realities and moments of honesty. Lots of the titles of the poems brought witty, bitter edges to them, playing off phrases or other poem titles (like 'The Black Girl Dies In This One'), and even with the intense subject matter (it's worth noting the content warnings at the start of the collection) there's a lot of wit brought with the anger to make powerful points throughout the book.

[Nancy Loredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
I'm not a big fan of poetry, but this collection of poems was an experience on another level.
Poem after poem, the author exposes us to a part of her life (and I would dare to say that of the lives of many women) with which one goes from rage and anger, to sadness and the longing for a beautiful love.
I look forward to reading more from Sumaya.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Mags Dares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for a copy of Heavy is the Head in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really powerful connection of poems. Heavy is the Head touched in a lot of darker themes, so be mindful of any trigger warnings before starting.

Heavy is the Head was, at its core, about and for women, specifically black women, and the struggles that they face on a daily basis. A lot of poems discussed sexual assault/exploration and the universal struggle of being a women in America. This was a very thought provoking collection and the flow from poem to poem was smooth and felt like a natural progression. I would recommend this book to any fan of poetry.

[F.S. Yousaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sumaya is one of my favorite writers to ever exist ngl