REVIEW | By Cheryl Antao-Xavier  »  The poems in Adebe DA’s aptly named Sea Change probe the depths of intimate relationships reflecting starkly on the vicissitudes of love, in the backwash of a reality check. Crashing illusions effuse self-revelations that surface as a new consciousness and understanding of oneself and one’s sense of self: “for me/it is in hopes that I evade/the traditional female destiny/of longing/for you/to take back the absence.”

A strong undertow of subliminal messaging tugs the reader along in a personal connection on a voyage to emotional maturity: “and do not call me with your old depths/for I am learning to sing a new song/learning to find/a new grammar of beauty/mornings where memories burn/and the poems return.”

The aqueous metaphor is carried through this collection of exquisitely-crafted gems of the deep. The poetry flows effortlessly, the verbal imagery captivates, the wisdom resonates: “that all poems/must be listened to with eyes/and all bodies are poems.”

Sea Change is a compelling read and an impressive first collection. Hopefully we will see a lot more from this young Canadian poet.

• Cheryl Antao-Xavier is a poet and publisher