The Heart of American Poetry - A Review

 

The Heart of
American Poetry

by

Edward Hirsch

A Review

Edward Hirsch has compiled an eclectic collection of poetry written by Americans, some well-known and some less so. The poems are accompanied with essays which help the reader understand the environment within which the authors were writing.

Though I only recently found a new appreciation for poetry, I think if this book had been the first I had stumbled upon to refresh my exposure to this genre, I would have said, “No, thank you.” There is little to unite the pieces included except (as indicated in the title) it is American Poetry. As I read, I felt as if I were back in my very unsatisfying freshman literature class. As I did, so many years ago, I would walk away and say, “No more!”

Some of the poems were engaging, but many were not. The result is a collection, a book, that receives only three stars from this reader.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Poems of Faith - A Review

 

Poems of Faith

Edited By

Bob Blaisdell

A Review

Bob Blaisdell has republished his collection of 100 poems selected “from five hundred years of English verse”. Some of the authors are well-known (e.g. Charles Wesley and and John Donne), but many are less well-known. Coming from so many sources and over so many years, this collection of poetry seems less connected than other works that have crossed my path this past year.

Many of the selected works spoke to this reader; but it seemed, at times, easier to find pieces that were either so generic that they might apply to everyone or disconnected to this reviewer's life. I might be more likely to leave this book sitting on my coffee table than to use it as part of my daily spiritual reflections. I give this book three stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Elephant Wisdom - A Review

Elephant Wisdom

by

M. Gail Grant

A Review

Remembrance of Him

  

 You are never alone,

 even in the absence of another soul.

 When stillness fills the air,

 and the deafening sounds of despair sing,

 remember inside of you,

 lives the Holy King.

As I learn to re-appreciate poetry, something four years of high school and five years of college stole from my soul fifty years ago, I have stumbled on another collection of free verse that has touched my heart.

Many of these pieces remind me that there is pain in loss - whether it be for a short while or for longer periods of time. The pain is real, but at the same time we are reminded that when one has left, they have also returned home.

If the reader is looking for a rhythm or a rhyme, these poems will (mostly) not provide those elements. But if the reader is looking for pieces that will touch the heart and help them find feelings they may have lost. this collection of poetry will do that. They will take the reader through their pain to the throne of God while preparing the reader for another day. For this, I give this 150-page book five stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the author for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

Feel Your Way Through - A Review

 

Feel Your Way Through

by

Kelsea Ballerina

A Review

like a dandelion can bloom

through a crack in granite

you can become something beautiful

wherever you’re planted

Kelsea Ballerina, country star, has published a set of 52 poems designed to be read and thought over. She touches on helpful subjects (as demonstrated by the example above) and some very difficult subjects (eating disorders, gun violence, and suicide). These obviously come from a heart that has experience brokenness and found relief from her pain.

I was touched by the authenticity the author brought to her work. Though each poem did not touch my pain points, they did touch me as I moved through the collection. Many were meaningful to this reader and forced him to re-examine his own walk through recovery.

I may have met Kelsea Ballerina through her music; but I will remember her because of her poetry. I give this collection five-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Your Words Your Worlds - A Review

 

Your Word Your World

by

Louise Bélanger

A Review 

Jesus wins

Against Satan

We know the outcome

We know the end

It is written in the Bible

“And they lived happily ever after”

Will happen

I’d rather have

That certainty

Than one wish granted

By a story book genie

Even three

Poetry is not often something I would jump at reading, but this book caught my eye - I was not disappointed. The author has composed a set of 28 pieces of Free Verse poetry speaking to the author’s and the reader’s relationship to God and the world. They are thoughtful and meaningful - often addressing real questions that are not simply answered. 

Each poem is two to four pages in length (the snippet above is a fraction of the entire poem), including colorful photographs that draw the reader in. Each poem has its own theme: creation, the Trinity, Fairytale Endings, etc. This thoughtful collection of poems is worth 5-stars.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Jesus And Zacchaeus - A Review

Jesus And

Zacchaeus

&

Zacchaeus

And Jesus

by

Written By: Dandi Daley Mackall

Illustrated By: Lisa Manuzak

A Review

“Nifty!” - That was the word my wife used when I first showed her this unusual book. Her word is official - she is the Pre-K Sunday School teacher at church; she is the grandmother of two active preschoolers; and she is a member of the children’s bookseller team at the local Barnes and Noble. If she looks at a children’s book and says. “Nifty!”, it is nifty.

The book consists of two parallel stories (i.e. poems) telling the story from Jesus’ (who offers grace) perspective; and, after flipping the book over, it tells the story from Zacchaeus’ (who receives grace) perspective. The images are colorful and convey the story in an interesting manner for the young child or early reader.  

And though this grandpa’s word is not nearly as official, this reader does agree - this book will make a nifty addition to the home library, the church library, or the Sunday School classroom.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

The Leaf by Floyd H. Johnson

Today a leaf danced across my path.
It did a little jig as it moved along the ground,
urged along by unseen hands.

Dry and tender, it waltzed in step with the trees
who clapped their hands to the tune of some
silent melody.

I moved on, perhaps never again to see that sight,
though leaves will dance and waltz tomorrow.