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Obadike, Mendi Lewis. Armor and Flesh. Detroit, Michigan: Lotus Press, 2004. $12.00 paper (ISBN 0-916418-93-60), 61 pages.
Reviewed by Jacqueline Jones LaMon
Armor and Flesh, Mendi Lewis Obadike's first collection of poems, is a spiraled exploration into the complexities of the flesh and the boundaries that separate the self from that which lies beyond. In these poems, the self is never defined by the body alone, but is perceived as a fluid entity, becoming what it must for expression in a given situation. The self seeps and erupts through the forms of these poems, creating chills where expeci ; ions are altered. The result is ethereal and effective, exemplifying the ability of the .-elf to exist beyond preconceived definitions. Using precise, chiseled language, Obadike explores issues of preservation and vulnerability in a cunning world determined to eradicate the contributions of the authentic, evolutionary self.
Winner of the 2004 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, Obadike's poems are simultaneous insights into what is hidden and protected by the flesh, as well as an exploration of the protective element itself. They explore the process of revelation, the desire of the self to know and be known. Obadike approaches this revelation from a variety of vantage points,...