So Speak The Stars offers the rare chance for a reader to reflect alongside the writer. Written almost entirely in second person, author Tawni Waters places the reader in the shoes of her subjects. They become a lover, a child, a friend, and even God. Waters speaks to the reader, demanding to be heard, and leaves them to think about what she’s said before moving onto the next page.
Accompanied by illustrations provided by her daughter, Desiree Wade, Waters isn’t scared of confronting the political, familial, and spiritual. She approaches these themes head on, and the works compiled in this book couldn’t be more honest and raw because of it.
Split into three parts (“Black Hole,” “Protostar,” and “Big Bang”), Waters’ poems are strung together through spiritual symbolism and analysis of love and life. She invites both the audience and the subjects of her work to join her as she reflects, and think about themselves and the world around them. One of the strongest examples of this is within the poem that is also the book’s title: “The worst they can do is kill you, and so what?” Waters asks her muse. “Look me in the eye and tell me you truly believe that shiny thing that lives inside you is ever going to die.”
Waters confronts death time and again throughout the book. My favorite instance is “Inanna’s Imperatives.” The poem is a reminder that we should enjoy the little things in life. We should cherish being able to “catch rain in styrofoam cups.” We need to forget the flaws we see in ourselves in order to attract good things. The ending line, however, caught me off guard: “Know you are never too old to live. Know you are never too young to die.”
With this final line in mind, I reread the poem. It acts as a gentle warning for us to appreciate everything we have. It’s never too late to start embracing life, but you may not have as much time to get started as you may think.
As I read, I found myself thinking about the connection between faith and love, which are arguably the two most important themes Waters tackles. Whether this love is romantic, platonic, or familial depends on the subject of the piece, but the question still stands: is it wise to base your faith on love?
Waters ponders the overarching question over and over again as the book goes on, but instead of answering it directly, she offers a new perspective: Does it matter if it’s wise? What if placing your faith in love prompts newfound courage, allows you to discover new things, or offers unforgettable experiences and perspectives? By stepping into the shoes of her subjects, the reader discovers firsthand just how intertwined love and faith can be. Waters finds faith in who and what she loves.
Perhaps the best example of this comes from “After The Potluck,” where Waters states that she’ll “always love” the little boy who was reading the Bible as he sat in the corner. “He saved the world for me,” she notes, right before stating that the sin of both he and her brother is that “He doesn’t hate people. He loves them too much.”
In her own words, it’s a sin to love people too much, but that doesn’t stop Waters from finding faith in the people she meets. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s wise to base your faith on love if that’s what saves your world.
On the spiritual journey that is So Speak The Stars, from politics and religion to love and family, Waters doesn’t fear discussing the topics that have sparked something in her. Her approach to these reflections is refreshing, and I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in examining their own place in the world around them.
So Speak The Stars
by Tawni Waters
Blurb
Published on October 2, 2019
154 pages
Caitlyn is a junior at Drexel University studying Entertainment Communications. She is the founder and head of Philadelphia-based music publication Ascribe Magazine, and writes for her photography blog Captured By Caitlyn in her spare time.