CHROME VALLEY Poems

Author Mahogany Browne masterfully delivers her narrative poems about being a Black girl in America. Unabashedly, she takes listeners on a poetic journey. Her spoken words are rhythmic and repetitious, especially when referring to her mother, Redbone. She speaks as if listeners are growing up on the same block that Redbone did. Playing with sounds, hitting consonants hard to drive home the truths of her mother's upbringing, she says, "Redbone girls get tough quick or get gone quicker." In "Cycle," which is steady and metaphorical, she says, "Break. Break. Break," intentionally creating stillness and certainty with each word. In the final poem, "This," she again applies repetition, illuminating its power. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]