On the Borders of Belonging

Althea Romeo Mark's On the Borders of Belonging, is the voice of a poet who understands what it means to cross borders, whose ancestors knew the language of survival, the language of Africans forced to cross borders "willingly and unwillingly." There is a sacredness deeply engraved in each poem in this book, the honesty of each verse, each line, inviting us to come closer, drawing us to commune not only with the poet here, but also with the long line of ancestral and living border-crossers. There is a subtlety as she juxtaposes the pain of leaving and the peace of belonging in each line of these powerful poems about the other, the refugee, the wanderer who dares to move against borderlines drawn to stop us, and how, we become, and then, we belong.

-Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, Author of Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems



On the Borders of Belonging, by Althea Romeo Mark, is a poignant exploration of remembrance and acknowledgement with themes assembled around portraits of displacement, tradition, alienation, memories and the notion of belonging. While the Caribbean migrant experience is a lingering trope, the ideas reach forward and back across a universal space. Migration is portrayed with curiosity, trepidation, regret and often with fear of being discovered, fear of 'not making it', fear of not being accepted. The titles themselves represent flashes of light into these Insights. Unusual imagery and pleasing musicality enhance the messages colored in this collection.

They invite contemplation and recognition of our shared humanity.

-Alscess Lewis-Browne

Althea Romeo Mark's latest poetry collection, On the Borders of Belonging, brings alive the refugee experience in vivid imagery and detail. Her language shines a light, by turns both harsh and tender, illuminating the violence and economic pressures that force families to flee their homes, risking dangerous ocean or desert crossings to face bureaucracy and even racism in the hopes of gaining asylum in a strange land. It's impossible to read Romeo Mark's work without emerging with a greater understanding, empathy, compassion, and respect for the courage of the refugee.

-Carmel Mawle