June Jordan just kicked ass with this beautiful sweet book. It tells about her childhood all the way up to 12. I just finish reading it on Friday. Many times it made me want to cry, not just because of the moving descriptive words, but because I could clearly hear June saying the words.
Now I know why she seemed so touched with that one poem I wrote about my dad. Up to that point, I wasn't a big fan of hers, but after I saw how she connected with me, her look when I just finish reading, it made me feel so good that she was my professor.
She had similar experiences with her dad as I did. Both of our fathers had so much expectation for each of us, but will lose track of our feelings. Her father would tell her that she needed to be strong, like a soldier, same thing happen to me.
As I got to know June more, I found out that she was very humble and just generally cheerful. Except when you made her mad, she'll be quick to put you in check. I'm glad I got to know her. A true Soldier, una gran guerrera.
SOLDIER captures June's love for life, and I really enjoyed know more about her life.
One of the parts I really loved, was when she starting dancing at church, almost naked. She was a little girl that aimed to shock. She danced wildly to the rhythm of drums right there inside the church, just after the other good kids had recited their god poems and praise songs, June bust out with some real "pagan" dancing. Beautiful.
Another great moment in the book is when June goes to summer camp and climbs the apple tree. People could not get her to come off, and could not bribe her with promises of food or forgiveness. She stood up there, not quiet knowing why. She starts by saying, "I knew I was not an apple. But I was sure trying to hang up there in the centerpiece apple tree of Brooklyn's YWCA Robin Hood Camp for Girls, in Central Valley, New York." "I'd climbed that tree because it was there. And I could do that. It was free. I was free. I wanted to test myself: How high could I climb? And I wanted to smother myself with apples: Smelling them and inspecting them up close and counting them and wondering about worms and just nestling next to apples in an apple tree." (SOLDIER, June Jordan).
What happened next, is that her parents were called (not a good thing with a heavy-hand father that did not hesitate to give you a beating). When they got there, she just climbed down and went to play with her "bad" friend.
I really recommend this book, when I'm a teacher, I will make it available to my students. For sure they'll learn a lot about struggle and inner strength, and also about being brave and finding personal freedom, even when things don't seem so charming.