Aja Monet’s ‘Florida Water’ : Poetry of Resistance and Love

by Alyssa Davis

Aja Monet, the Grammy-nominated Caribbean American poet and musician, calls the blues her “origin story” — a powerful foundation that shapes both her music and her poetry. Two years ago, Monet performed a stirring Tiny Desk Concert at NPR, blending surrealist blues with incisive social commentary.

Her latest poetry collection, Florida Water, delves into themes of cleansing, resistance, and revolution. The title itself carries dual significance. Monet explains that Florida Water refers not only to the aromatic cleansing perfume used in spiritual rituals but also to the literal waters of Florida—the beaches, floods, and hurricanes that shaped her experience living there.

“This year was a dedication to Florida Water, the cleansing,” Monet reflects. “Little did I know the whole world would be rinsing, too. Everyone is a running faucet, blood on their hands. Can’t face ourselves in one another.”

Monet’s poems often confront the violent legacies of colonialism and environmental devastation. In the poem “The Perfect Storm,” she writes:

“The perfect storm empties a country of abuelitas, padres, hermanos, mujeres y ninos.
A disaster that doesn’t seem so natural, waves of wind damaged homes, hovering roofs made of tarp.
If you wanted to take land from a people bent on resisting colonialism, insert McDonald’s, Walmart or the Jones Act.”

For Monet, the lines between activism and artistry blur seamlessly. “A big part of the measure of our existence is based on our impact on one another,” she says. “The evidence that we exist is how we affect each other.”

In one standout poem, Monet asks: Is love a commons? The question probes the nature of love beyond romance, contemplating its place in society and politics.

“In the fifth year of side by side, he tells you he’s got nothing left for you, not even tears. No apology will do.
After all, he’s not meant for relationships, just mobilizing them.
His heart floods the internet, a tsunami of tears for his people.
What a revolutionary man, who cries and shares softness—a stranger staring back at you through a screen,
a timeline of prolific distance between you and him.
What is socialism if it means his right to be right except for when it comes to you?”

Monet hopes love becomes a foundation for leadership and social organization. “If our leaders reflected the love that we know we need and deserve, we would have a very different way of organizing systems in society,” she asserts. “I look forward to a people that demands love from their leaders.”

And, she adds, from every relationship in their lives.

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