Reviewed by Ray Anyasi
Reynolds Mark’s poetry chapbook Ikeja to Oxford Circus is a poignant, richly textured exploration of migration, memory, masculinity, and emotional survival. Spanning geographies and emotional terrains, the collection offers a deeply personal yet universally resonant account of the migrant experience, particularly from Nigeria to the UK.
From the opening poem, “Ikeja to Oxford Circus,” Mark sets the tone with quiet vulnerability and observational sharpness. The poet arrives in the UK with “two boxes / one for dreams, one for sweaters,” immediately establishing the duality of hope and hardship. The poems chronicle the emotional and physical toll of migration, late buses, mispronounced names, and the slow erosion of cultural familiarity.
“Shift Work” and “After Graduation” capture the grind of survival and the disillusionment of post-academic life, where dreams are deferred and rejection becomes routine.
“Still, I Rise in Tottenham” offers a subtle shift toward resilience, marking the poet’s emotional evolution without romanticizing struggle.
The standout section “Cry Blood” is a four-part meditation on gendered pain and silence. Mark interrogates cultural expectations of strength and stoicism, especially among Nigerian men:
“When She Bled” reframes menstruation as a site of misunderstood strength, critiquing patriarchal ignorance.
“When He Was Told to Be Strong” and “Father’s Hands” explore inherited emotional repression, showing how silence is passed down like heirlooms.
“The Quiet Ones” is devastating in its portrayal of men whose pain is buried beneath banter and bus stop laughter.
Mark’s work is steeped in the tension between tradition and modernity, home and abroad. In “From Harmathan to Winter,” he juxtaposes Nigerian dust with English snow, crafting a metaphor for cultural dislocation. “The World I Once Knew” mourns the loss of tactile connection, where familial warmth is replaced by digital transmission.
The “Finding Balance” series is particularly compelling, blending digital critique with cultural introspection:
“The Scroll Never Ends” and “Digital Faith” reflect on how technology reshapes worship and attention.
“Tradition and Trend” and “Stillness, Somehow” offer a graceful negotiation between ancestral wisdom and contemporary chaos.
The chapbook includes several epistolary poems, “Dear Nnamdi,” “Dear Isioma,” and “A Love Letter to Myself”, that serve as emotional anchor points. These pieces are raw, confessional, and often humorous, revealing the speaker’s longing, regret, and self-compassion.
“Dear Nnamdi” is a bold declaration of love, rich with sensory detail and playful vulnerability.
“Dear Isioma” is a narrative of loss and reflection, centered around a misplaced laptop that becomes a metaphor for memory and identity.
“A Love Letter to Myself” is a quiet triumph, affirming growth and endurance.
The final poems, “Never Easy, Never Alone,” “We Carry the Same Weight,” “The Shared Struggle,” and “Hungry for the Climb”, extend the personal into the communal. Mark writes with empathy for others navigating similar paths, turning isolation into solidarity.
These poems are not about resolution but about recognition. They affirm that survival is not just individual—it’s shared, echoed, and dignified.
Ikeja to Oxford Circus is a masterful piece that balances lyrical intimacy with social critique. Reynolds Mark writes with emotional clarity, cultural insight, and poetic restraint. His voice is confident yet tender, offering readers a mirror and a map, especially those navigating the complexities of migration, masculinity, and memory.
This chapbook is not just a collection of poems; it’s a testament to the quiet power of endurance and the beauty of becoming.
Ray Anyasi is one of Africa's most published novelists, acclaimed poet and bestselling comic creator.
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