Realistic Poetry International
SM Shuford
Never Marry a Writer by Tolu' A. Akinyemi
Author Tolu’ A. Akinyemi returns with another spectacular effort, Never Marry a Writer. This collection of poems teems with melancholia and tragic beauty, the infinite mysteries and contradictions of human nature, and why we sometimes make drastic and dark choices that seem completely at odds with who we are.
Akinyemi is a very talented wordsmith, who writes with precision and no- holds-barred emotional depth. These are short and sharp poems, charged with nettle-like stings of secret turmoil. A lot of careful reflection and inspiration was funneled into every verse.
Emotional corruption, missed opportunities and broken relationships seem to be a major theme throughout. Danger, venom and conflict are often juxtaposed with nostalgia, mercy and sympathy here. There is a spiritual sort of heartache haunting these poems, yet also a shimmer of hope, a desire to mend what can be rescued from the rubble.
Never Marry a Writer has a pretty varied mix of styles. Some standout poems, to me, were the icy “Doctor, Doctor”, the painful, bittersweet “Goodbyes” and the “Never Marry a Writer” saga of poems. Two personal favorites were “Paranoia”, an all-too-relatable, nightmarish piece, and “People You Have Known”, an especially poignant and beautiful tribute to those who have passed on.
“They were humans first before they became dust. Our tears filled water drums. Our nights were haunted by fantasies of the dead.” -from “People You Have Known”
This collection, as a whole, is consistently strong. There are no real “weak” points at all, and I would feel confident recommending this book to anybody who enjoys poetry. Akinyemi creates a memorable, unique mesh of
the somber, surreal feeling one might get in dreams and the often harsh coldness of waking from those sweet dreams to face reality.
The sense of opposing feelings – anxiety and ambition, spite and love, honor and shame - fighting for their place at the forefront of your mind is one that hits hard in the aftermath of one of humanity’s roughest years, and I would give this one a secure five out of five stars. I look forward to seeing the bright future of Akinyemi’s work.
This book is available for purchase on