Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth (Mouthmark)

My favorite ones are Conversations About Home and Ugly. Warsan Shire has the most amazing way of expressing the beauty of desperate pain and agony. Breast cancer, rape, war, displacement, belonging, she muses the pains that mothers and daughters feel in such a breathtaking flow of language.

This is a small but powerful book, I read it from a friend's recommendation.
Each poem worth scrutinizing; each poem raises a little but yet huge issue.
The book is written by a young poet, with a very narrow but yet board focus, like in a war.

My only complaint about this book of poetry is that it's too small. I wanted to stay in the head of Warsan Shire for much longer. Warsan Shire is a rising star in my opinion and I cannot wait for what else she has in store for us. She has a beautiful mind that transcends into her poetry about womanhood, family, feminism and relationships.

This is one of the best compositions I have read in a while. I am not going to lie. If it wasn't for Beyonce incorporating her pieces into her Visual album Lemonade on HBO this spring, Miss Warsan Shire might have gone unrecognized.

My only complaint about this book of poetry is that it's too small. I wanted to stay in the head of Warsan Shire for much longer. Warsan Shire is a rising star in my opinion and I cannot wait for what else she has in store for us. She has a beautiful mind that transcends into her poetry about womanhood, family, feminism and relationships.

This is one of the best compositions I have read in a while. I am not going to lie. If it wasn't for Beyonce incorporating her pieces into her Visual album Lemonade on HBO this spring, Miss Warsan Shire might have gone unrecognized.

Warsan Shire's pamphlet, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth, is immensely powerful - full of energy. Take, for example, the poem, 'What Your Mother Told You After Your Father Left,' it reads, 'I did not beg him to stay/because I was begging God/that he would not leave.' Indeed, from Warsan Shire's epigraph, 'I have my mother's mouth and my father's eyes; on my face they are still together,' I knew that this was going to be a disturbingly brilliant read. Shire has incredible talent - for example, the abilty to play with words so that metaphors produce some highly original imagery. Punctuation is sparse, so the flow of reading is not interrupted and the line-break is left alone to do its job.
I feel blessed to have stumbled upon this brilliant pamphlet.

I gave this chapbook to my sister for Christmas last year and before I wrapped it, I read it myself. Even when it broke my heart, I couldn't put it down. Warsan Shire has a brilliant way of writing and evoking emotions.

I'm not sure what I expected. I downloaded a sample of this book and liked the voice that the writer had. Some of the poems I enjoyed, others I didn't. Overall worth the buy, though I wish it had been longer.

Warsan Shire is such a poignant and eloquent writer. This book is a short, but very deep read. It takes lots of time to understand the meanings, but at first read, you feel every emotion. Wow, what a powerful book.

I'm disappointed. I have read her blog posts and enjoy her poetry. I expected more poems. In essence, this was a chapbook. Despite other reviews, I wanted to buy and support the artist. As a business person, I understand costs can be crucial when publishing a book, I feel this could have been a little more substantial.

These words wash over you like a steam bath. They engulf. They warm. They purify. This is a tiny book with big emotions and I appreciate it. It's a wonderful gift to give and to receive. As the prose from Beyonce's Lemonade, I know Shire has gained popularity and that's great. This book is why she should be regarded. Her words speak volumes even when Beyonce isn't the one saying them.

You will not regret purchasing this beautiful poetry book. Although it was short (and by short I mean I did not want to stop turning the pages and reading), this book/zine was filled with raw meaning. I've read this zine over 25 times now, and I plan on reading it 25 more times.

These are heart-wrenching, gut turning writings. You can almost feel the crazy emotion attacking you from the pages. While it was a little too graphic for my taste, I feel like one would be unable to read this without being overcome with emotion in one form or another.

One of the most prolific writers of our time. Warsan Shire writes with a refined approach and a wide array of emotive access. Her words are raw, harmonious and hauntingly beautiful. This book serves as the reality of not only many Somali women but women alike. With tribute to pain, trauma, memory, kinship, journey, Warsan makes room for readers to lose themselves in a provocative world. In her poems, storytelling takes place in an extraordinary and gripping way. No matter the length of this collection its pages will sustain you, its power will feed you, its words will charge you. Warsan is a timeless and enduring​ poet, a force this generation needs.

I didnt like this book as much as I were expecting to. It seemed the poems held more while finding them and reading them where i could find them online. I'd totally purchase her audiobook though. I've already sampled that and would give IT 5 stars.

Carried by women. The pain that only hurts. Poetry of survival, of the roots, of mothers, and grandmothers, and aunts, throwing themselves in the filthy mouth of history... we've been named witnesses. Here, have your stars...

I've been a big fan of Warsan Shire for a while and was excited for her book. When my little sister took interest it was a perfect reason to purchase copy. The poetry is still fantastic, but I was surprised at how small the book was--I was expecting more poetry. Her work here is also a lot more gritty (if possible) than the poems found on-line. Still worth it!

Warsan Shire is one of my most favorite poets. Her words are inspiring, tender, nuanced and vulnerable in the wake of violence and raw experiences. I gave my copy away to my boyfriend, it was so good I had to share. There are some poems in it you will not be able to find online, either - but a hard copy is always a good thing to have for something so precious.

This book was short but sweet! It really hit home and I'm very glad I bought it.
Also, the seller was really nice to work with! Order wasn't received first time around
(it happens from time to time as I live at a University) and the seller replaced it free of charge!

This book was like a beautiful song I never wanted to end. I read it two times the first day I got it, and carried it around with me the entire next day. Warsan's writing manages to speak to places deep in me that other texts can't touch. So honest, real, emotional, uncompromising, her words are exceptionally well-crafted, yet feel effortless. What a valuable and important work.

Some really great and intense poems.
However, it was way too expensive though (it was $9 U.S. at the time I bought it for 34 pages). I can buy Anne Sexton's complete poems at over 300 pages for like $15. It's a shame when products are priced above the market because it gives the book a bad taste. I wouldn't have spent $9 for 34 pages. Lesson learned. From now on I compare the cost of the book with how many pages are actually in it.

Paperback and short. It's a nice read but know that it's a book you don't to read in order. Some of her poems were amazing and some where average. Her struggle wasn't really something I could personally relate to but it was nice to see things from her perspective the way she writes is what makes it worth the read.

This book didn't contain any of the poetry I thought it would. I was disappointed because I had hoped the stuff I read online was in there, and none of it was. I love the way she writes, but don't really care for the content in this particular book. The other stuff I read was about relationships, etc.

I don't know much about Warsan Shire or her work other than her poetry in Beyonce's 'Lemonade'. While I was impressed with her voice in that particular work, I was not so much impressed with her work in this book. In short, it was far too repetitive in its dark themes, and I literally lost count of the number of times that I had to read about what was going on between somebody's thighs. Grandma's thighs, sister's thighs, mama's thighs, her own thighs. Geeze!! Also, I felt that there was a disconnect between the title and the actual content of the book. Instead of being titled, "Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth", "The Secret Life of my Female Relatives' Thighs" would have been more appropriate. My favorite poem was titled "Birds". I literally laughed out loud. I think that most women can relate to that poem in the way that men expect chastity and exclusivity from us with no intention of giving us the same. This book was just ok. I believe that the author is at the height of her popularity due to Queen Bey's endorsement and people just took that and ran with it. I would read this again, but only as a source of reference, but I would not recommend it.

I would recommend everyone read this collection. It is heartbreaking and hopeful, and I can't reread it often enough. I first found her work through tumblr and when this book was published, I rushed to order it. Devouring it was cathartic and my only regret is that I did not slow myself down for the first readthrough.

I read this far too quickly, I was eager. I suggest you, next reader, take it slowly, savour it.

Her words come from a place of visceral, raw emotion.

It's quiet at times, loud in others. It carries an uncompromising honesty.

I couldn't keep it in my possession, I had to share it, I gave it to someone else who could be transported as I was.

Warsan's words are simply golden. every letter is placed with precision leaving the reader enthralled in the experience. We see the pictures, we hear the words, we feel the ideas and become immersed in her mind's reality. It's all so amazing! I've recommended it to all my friends and if they don't get it then I'll buy it for them! It's just that good! Great job!!

I don't understand why this is considered poetry. It's just rearranged prose and very juvenile at that. Maybe the appeal is that it talks about the African immigrant experience, which is not that much different from any other immigrant experience except that you have to add a few more pounds of racism to the mix. I seriously doubt that the big and enthusiastic audience of admirers for this stuff reads poetry in general and can tell you who T. S. Eliot or Ezra Pound or Marianne Moore or even E. E. Cummings were. I'm happy for her personal success as I would be for anyone living in this corporate-controlled, money-obsessed world, but she's a fad that will soon pass.

I devoured it. I received it at the post office, opened it immediately, and read the entire thing right there. It is definitely worth your money and it's worth reading through quickly once and then saving it to dwell over each and every work later. Warsan is talented beyond belief and I can see her making it into anthologies in the future.

You wouldn't think such a small collection would be able to pack such a punch, but you'd be completely wrong. Shire is a master of poetry & she knows how to spin stories into her writing as though it's second nature. Truly, beautiful words. Heartbreaking, beautiful words.