Poetry of Strangers

I randomly found this book in a Free Little Library nearby. It referenced poetry, a typewriter, and it was a short volume, so why not? Brian Sonia-Wallace is an aimless twenty-something when he decides to embark on his ‘rent poet’ scheme; through it, he travels the country (partially by train!) and meets people from all walks of life; above all, he gets glimpses of their hearts and sincere desires and feelings. This book is one of compassion and openness, of reaching out to the stranger across the typewriter and connecting to them. The book consists of several essays, roughly chronological but not strictly. Some chapters were more captivating than others. The overarching message can become somewhat repetitive by the end—but this was an enjoyable read.

I once considered focusing in anthropology, because studying different ways of being human is a subject I can easily get lost in. Add poetry to the mix—and well, clearly this book resonated with me, in a way. Modern poetry isn’t always palatable—I don’t get the significance or depth behind random (or strategic) line breaks, repetitive metaphors, and strings of barely coherent sentences connected by a vague theme. Yet, Sonia-Wallace masters the art of turning raw feelings into words, sharp edges raised on paper and sculpted in ink. Okay, that is it for my attempt at metaphors. At one point, Sonia-Wallace is at the Mall of America in a blatant rebranding campaign, trying to attract more people to the mall—a space which has been in decline for years. Surely, one would not think ‘poetry’ for the marketing strategy—but people sob their hearts out! Word of mouth propels the poet to new heights. Clearly, there is a need for typewriter poetry.

At its heart, the message I gained from this is not remotely earth shattering or unknown—people want to be heard and seen, and they want others to not only acknowledge their existence, but to hold them in their pain and sit with it for a while. Typewriter poems do that. Art does it. The ineffable nature of creativity layered through various media does it. Though this book is part reflection, part poetry, and part memoir, it is mainly a reminder of that humanity that threads us all together in the search for acceptance. If you are looking for an uplifting read about the power of connecting through poetry, this is the ticket.