I don’t know how old I was when I first read a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks — 12, maybe 13. I don’t know where I even found the poem. But I do remember the specific poem, “a song in the front yard,” and I do remember reciting my favorite stanza: “I stayed in the front yard all my life./I want a peek at the back/Where it’s rough and unattended and hungry weed grows/A girl gets sick of a rose.”
Of course, I didn’t know about symbolism or other poetic devices at the time. I just liked the music in her words. And I loved the last line “A girl gets sick of a rose.”
I still love Gwendolyn Brooks. I teach “We Real Cool” whenever I can, and many other of her poems have been added to my favorites list. This past year, I made a resolution on my GoodReads reading group to read more collections from “classic” poets. Brooks is one of the poets whose work I know; however, I never read one of her collection in its entirety. That’s why I read her Selected Poems published by HarperCollins. This collection offers segments from her many books including A Street in Bronzeville, Annie Allen and The Bean Eaters. This book also contains a mini biography of Brooks’ life along with a tribute by Nikki Giovanni titled “Remembering Gwen.” In short, this is a collection that gave me a chance to revisit old favorites, while discovering new works.
The Scrapper Poet 