Sundress Reads: Review of Songs For Wo(men)

Songs For Wo(men) (Gordon Hill Press, 2024) is a poetry chapbook by prolific writer and artist, Mugabi Byenkya, containing painfully relatable anecdotes around male expectations, gender identity, mental health, disability, and marginalization, and most importantly, having something to hold on to. Byenkya writes very honestly about the people and experiences that have shaped him; it feels very much like reading a hero’s epic. This gorgeous chapbook is a scale model of what self-acceptance over doubt via trial and error looks like. Byenkya uses a handful of storytelling methods, styles, and forms to reflect of life of a disabled black person who has questioned gender norms and fought back against the othering of their outward identity. 

They begin with an epigraph by Timiro Mohamed, a poem called “Dear Self.” In it is a reminder to celebrate, love, and honor oneself and accomplishments: “Take this poem / to be prayer / and ritual / and celebration. // An invocation of joy for a Black boy / dressed in all the shades of his holy.” This poem sets the tone for the rest of the book, and almost reads like a disclaimer, saying, The following is what I have gone through, and this is who I am now.

Byenkya then introduces readers to their version of home through their poems “Enyumba” and “Eddwaliro.” In “Eddwaliro,” they write,

These poems represent something foundational for the curation of identity; the relationship with self and definition of home were great ways to start this book. 

Byenka’s “Dick” and “Philomina” series of poems are the essence of the project. “Dick: Scenes 1-8” tell the story of an awkward interaction. Mugabi’s speaker navigates a sudden and intrusive conversation, brought on by Dick, an all too curious and vocal stranger who wants to know things about the way the speaker dresses, their disability, and why they won’t whistle at women they don’t know. This conversation shows us exactly what it’s like for anyone refusing to adhere to gendered pressures and how frustrating it is that they can’t even introduce themselves without being subjected to tight-lipped smiles or a million and one questions. Byenkya’s “Philomena” derives its name from their award-nominated 2017 novel/memoir titled Dear Philomena. These three poems retell Byenkya’s discovery of femininity and comfort in it during turbulent times. In “Philomena’s Interlude Pt. 3” they write, “This was years before I / wrote my first letter to Philomena, but she was always there with / me, providing solace, especially during times like this…I didn’t see the point of having this same argument again and / again, where she tried to force me to be something I’m not and / we both walked away upset” (Byenkya 24). This is where we come to understand Philomina’s role in the speaker’s life; she is a charm, an alter ego, there to remind them of what truly matters.

One of the most eye-catching forms in Songs For Wo(men) pays homage to music, another passion of Mugabi’s. The table of contents is modeled after a tracklist, beautiful preparation for an album-like experience. As another nod to entertainment, Byenkya’s “Dick” series take the shape of a stage script, with center-justified dialogue between the speaker and Dick and each installment labeled as a scene. The varying styles, in the “Dick” series especially, work not only as vehicles for a compelling narrative but as effective engagement hooks as well. As soon as I began reading, I could not take my eyes away. 

Everything about this chapbook is creative, down to the little details. In the poem “Squib,” Byenkya uses repetition to emphasize the point that words are like spells, inspired by Susan Lori Parks’ quote, “words are spells in our mouths.” Byenkya writes “Healing” / “Healing” / “Healing” // No matter how many times I cast the spell, it never comes” (Byenkya 18). The key word here though is like; words are like spells, but they don’t always do the job.

They also uses very short and pointed lines to convey a clear and concise assertion of boundaries and autonomy in the “Don’t touch my hair” series of poems, which serves the theme very well. This was something I was able to feel and deeply relate to.

Songs for Wo(man) is Byenkya’s story, ode, and study of identity through an Afrocentric perspective. It is a deeply essential piece of work that thankfully does not take itself too seriously in exploring issues that do indeed deserve serious attention. Mugabi Byenka is witty in the telling of their story; they know exactly what their message is and how to get people to pay attention. This chapbook is worth getting your hands on because there’s a strong personal message within it for anyone who wants to pick it up.

Songs for Wo(man) is available from Gordon Hill Press

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