Review by Rebecca Henderson -- The Immigrant's Lament
The act of writing is a form of expression, and it could be said that poems are the distilled and concentrated manifestations of our innermost thoughts and emotions. Whatever our subject, whoever we write to or for, the words and phrases combine, lending the reader a peek at our experiences. For Mois Benarroch, the poem is a crucial vehicle that carries not only a sense of identity and place, but the vast interpretations of life that cannot so easily be contained in colloquial language.
The Immigrant’s Lament is a collection of poems that ranges in theme from vaccines, sexuality, childhood, and marriage to discussion of writing, love, war, and politics. Benarroch explores aspects of his childhood, including physical locations and psychological states. He recounts tales of his youth, his grandparents and parents, his lovers and his wife. While one cannot assume that each speaker is in fact Benarroch, there is a sense of unity to this collection of poems that speaks to a unified perspective.
Much of the phrasing in these poems sparked a lot of interest in me as a writer; being a poet, in my opinion, requires an ability to inspire others with one’s words and phrasing. The title poem, “The Immigrant’s Lament,” includes a section entitled, “My childhood.” The author writes: “My childhood, / a black flower I did not pick.” I found this phrasing to be interesting because of the use of “black flower” and the verb “pick.” Describing one’s childhood as a flower might evoke visions of happiness and joy, growth and color. The use of “black” seems to reverse all of these aspects. Related to this use of “black” is the very “pick,” as usually flowers die soon after being picked; although, the verb “pick” could have been used to show a choice made, like picking a red flower over a yellow one.
Similarly, I found phrases such as “physician’s machines / who keep the angel of death unemployed,” and “my head was a theological soccer camp,” to be thought-provoking. I wonder about the Moroccan prince that is mentioned. These poems struck me as a catalogue of a life, and as with many catalogues, I feel that time, attention to detail, and rumination are best for understanding the context and content of these poems. I view poems as somewhat opaque to the fleeting eye, but useful for pondering and consideration. Benarroch achieves this aspect very well through use of interesting phrasing and unique descriptions.
In total, I found a few grammatical errors, but overall I must admit that this is the first book by Mois Benarroch that I enjoyed. I have read a few of his other works, translated of course, and found them to leave much to be desired. However, this collection of poems offered me a new insight into Mr. Benarroch’s life and experiences. For that reason, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Though I would have liked to have seen more poems, considering this was a short text, I did enjoy the experiences and language of the poems. I would have also included the Table of Contents at the beginning of the book, rather than at the end (as one might include an index). In summary, I would recommend The Immigrant’s Lament for those looking to get a closer look at Mr. Mois Benarroch himself. Happy reading!
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The Immigrant's Lament
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