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Erstwhile Orbits and Newformed Spheres is a collection of autobiographical poems, composed by Umohowet Yelayu. Chronological and ordered by periods of life, it begins with youthful poems of ardent first-love and discovery. Before long, there is a shift to airy philosophy and the heavy esoteric, as life lessons and experiences slowly remove the rose-colored lenses. Emotional breakdowns and regroupings overtake the focus, leading to a renewed and blazing confidence, even if fault lines still rumble. Then, a diagnosis of mental illness followed by the desire for authenticity and true healing change the course of things once more. Here are powerful relationships as well as the deconstruction of those bonds; the development of strong religious beliefs and the painful losses of faith; transcendental philosophical brushstrokes and metaphysical pondering; declarations of personal strength and expressions of profound weakness. There is fragility & fortitude. Vulnerability, fear, anguish, melancholy, and misery. Power, courage, vigor, contentment. The result is a wholly human portrait.

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Selected Reviews

A Compelling New Voice

“…an intriguing find. I’m a fan of philosophical poetry, which I sort of regarded as a dying art, but I was surprised that this collection has such a delicate balance of emotion and intellect. The writing has a jazz sensibility, but at times reads like a sacred text (the rousing “Suihallawuiyou” could easily be a lost scripture). It’s a welcome challenge, then, to figure out who Yelayu is. There’s a cautious intimacy in his musings, and you sense the torture of someone eager to reclaim, hungry to connect, craving answers that lead to more questions. Sweeping, odic metaphors can come off as pretentious in the wrong hands, but Yelayu pulls them off with quiet sincerity. In that sense, it is ambitious - calculated yet raw - in a way that presents the pain of the human experience (especially for an artist overflowing with thoughts and longings) through the lens of spiritual anguish. It’s a way of sharing, perhaps, while remaining shielded by the universality of the confessions. The collection itself ranges from big-picture cosmic and epistemic (“The Naked God,” “For Certain,” “The First Earth”) to vulnerable and bare (“Insight,” “Pastel and Shell”). Yelyu is lyrical but heavy, and the collection benefits from some moments of fantastic storytelling (“The Prophet’s Spice Truck,” “Chinatown”). Overall, a very thought-provoking collection from a fascinating new poet.”

- J. Bautista

Heartfelt

“A beautifully written book of poems that are vivid with imagery and soul felt. Yelayu does an amazing job of bringing about the emotions of love, youth, passion, disappointment, and even more. When reading these poems, I feel like I am the author in that simply reading the words bring upon the emotions that he felt in that very moment of the idea as it was being stored in his mind. I highly recommend reading.”

- N.A. Ahmad

Beautiful & Insightful Imagery from A Promising New Author

Exhilarating and imaginative! Beautiful and insightful imagery from a promising author.

- Anonymous