https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/--131/a-piece-of-me/
A PIECE OF ME
an arrangement of words to inspire reflection
A physician offers a cultural critique in free verse.
In this “arrangement of words,” Ahmad grapples with his identity as a Muslim and a Pakistani immigrant in the post–9/11 American Midwest. “I use the written word to emote, often untamed and exact out of my heart,” he tells readers in the introduction. He begins by considering “your average Muslim Joe and Mary,” who are rejected both by Muslim fundamentalists for not being “Muslim enough” and by Americans for being too different. As a cardiologist, he contemplates “the disparity of effort between the acts of saving life and taking life. One is so hard, difficult, and temporary. The other seems so easy, effortless, and permanent.” He rails against the Muslim registry proposed by President Donald Trump in 2016 in “American Shame,” while in “Where Are the Mandelas, the Gandhis of This Century?” he wonders where the modern peacemakers are. He commends former President Barack Obama for “carrying his color and poise” and calls Pope Francis “impressive.” Ahmad’s writing sometimes reads less like poetry and more like a list of thoughts. He treads little new ground here, as in “It Is Time,” in which he states the obvious: “Discrimination is alive and well. / Against minorities, on religious, racial, and social lines, sexual preferences, and gender orientation.” The collection is entirely cerebral, without any scene-setting or sensory details. That said, he does share some clever insights, like these lines about the Covid-19 pandemic: “Top economies now on their knees / if panic and fear were solutions / this by now would be behind us.” His work resonates the most when it is focused on his specific experiences as a Muslim and a Pakistani immigrant in an often antagonistic country. A strong example is “US Muslims”: “This is our circus, our monkeys / The question begs how to best respond to all this… / each of us is a brand ambassador, I believe for a Muslim today, just / showing up is not enough.”
A novice poet delivers intriguing meditations on culture, politics, and humanity.