Knucklehead: Poems

Gr 9 Up–This collection of poems starts like a letter to a friend: “Dear Knucklehead,/ have you ever had a planet lodged in your belly/ that could barely fit” and closes with: “Dear Knucklehead,/ I was a poet who was afraid to publish./ I was worried about seeing my words printed in a book,” addressing the magnitude of self-doubt that can grow into self-deceit and disabling fear if not given voice, a platform to be heard, and an audience. Taken whole, the poems are an encapsulation of the ways society defines otherness, from the perspective of a gay Black poet who calls himself “a social agent of change.” Keith addresses himself, his readers, and society the same—all knuckleheads, bumbling to adulthood in an attempt to individualize and define ourselves. These poems are prescient and relevant when socioeconomic injustice and blatant racism have come to the forefront of the country’s political landscape. Readers are encouraged to reclaim language and redefine meanings, especially in terms of masculinity. Keith says the poet is a “superhero with a cape made of metaphors” who uses the power of words to identify the uniqueness behind brown and Black skin, to explore identity and courage. His provocative and confrontational poems are not afraid to expose issues of “Black voyeurism,” and he does not shy away from exalting in the love of his partner in works like “I Dreamt About My Man.” Interspersed with bold black-and-white sketches, the free-form verse demands to be read aloud, shouting to be heard, as the writer tells readers to “wipe the crust of bondage from your eyes/ remember your dreams and forget the lies.”