There is a great need for poetry in this world. Words twisted together can let the imagination travel through time and place, connecting you with a sense of emotional expression and understanding—like all forms of art.

In Cockatoos in the Mangroves, Lee-AhMat, an Aboriginal-Torres Strait Islander woman, covers many of the social and life issues that affect Indigenous Australians. Sharing our knowledge comes with great responsibility, which is passed down from many generations before us. Kyra Kum-Sing, Curator, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative, Australia.

With passion and raw honesty, Vanessa S. Lee-AhMat is unapologetic as she writes from a sense of knowing and doing perspective of being an Aboriginal-Torres Strait Islander woman in contemporary Australia. She courageously pens issues experienced by black Indigenous people such as racism and discrimination, lived humor, earthly connections, and environmental disruptions. Through poetry, she takes the listener on a deep journey to the darker side of being human, as reality is exposed and life is painted through a myriad of emotions.

Cockatoos in the Mangroves is confessional, and at the same time, an artfully expressive debut collection of poetry that will leave a fiery footprint on your spirit.