April is National Poetry Month! I have chosen six very different poets with a wide variation in techniques and subject matter. Poetry really is for everyone. I have included a bonus non-poetry textbook in my reviews for those of us seeking facts in our fiction.
Also, in honor of the occasion, all of my poetry books are 99 cents this month on Amazon, available as e-book and paperback. This is my gift to you, my readers. Happy reading!
“Survival: Evolutionary Rules for Intelligent Species Survival” by Samuel Layne reads like a gentle textbook, full of information and highlights without being ambiguous or overly wordy. It is a humanistic approach to discovering life on earth and entertains the ideas of lives on other planets as well. With NASA data, quotes by leading scientists such as Stephen Hawking, and independent study, this book provides a clear guideline of scientific viewpoints. Evolution, adaptation, climate changes, and the ability or lack thereof to grow and learn are all addressed without being preachy and with no political agenda. The facts are portrayed in a simple straight-forward and smoothly written style.
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“From this perspective, one can no longer think of evolution as a detached and disinterested process; instead, it becomes a set of repeating universal processes that create a repeating universal pattern, and in the midst of a universe seemingly consumed by chaotic processes enables order in the form of life and survival over death and extinction.”
NASA photos and conceptual art make this book come alive, as do the graphs and tables that are simple enough for non-scientists to understand.
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“For the first time, we were yanked away from the cares of our individual lives to collectively gaze in awe and wonder at the Earth from the perspective of the moon, each of us slowly realizing that we stood somewhere on that rotating surface along with everyone else…”
I recommend this book to home-schoolers, students being introduced to biological studies, and readers who are fascinated by human evolution and adaptation. As a science-fiction writer, I found the information within this textbook to be valuable to my research as it provided me with a clearer understanding of how homo sapiens and the universe beyond us are interconnected. The notes were especially helpful for review.
"Lament of Midnight" by Ashley Grant is a collection of poetry melded with two short stories.
The poetry is anguished and painful, focusing on themes of disconnect and a desire to find a place in society.
This short poem is an example of the imagery and action used in Ms. Grant's honest and creative writing style:
"Sleepless"
The cogs in my head
Spin away endless hours
Until my bearings are lost
To this relentless binding power
The short stories are written with intricate and fantastical flair, yet with precise clarity.
"Poor Dolly" is an allegorical tale of child abuse. Through a doll's eyes, we see the slow treachery of abusive adults in a young child's life.
"A Tortured Procedure" is part Frankenstein, part Dracula, and all spooky horror with a sci-fi twist.
This is an excellent book for fans of Stephen King or Christina Rossetti.
"Invincible One" by Dan Szczesny is a poetry volume expressing a solo mission that reaches worldwide.
When the author's daughter was an infant, he and his wife brought her on a life-changing journey from New England to Northern India.
Peppered with prose and personal photographs, the author's adventure is one we all share: one of searching for connection. Close by and world-wide, the author's words have captured the human longing for family and identity.
One of my favourite poems, that I think exemplifies the flavour of this book, is "Grace."
"Grace" by Dan Szczesny
India, beautiful madness,
India, harsh, abrupt, relentless,
raw and alive with living,
gorgeous sin, wrapped in tikka, fire, and aluminum.
And she does not care what you think of her.
India scoffs at New York City or Paris,
makes you question everything you think you know.
And in the end, at the edge of your ability
to comprehend your place here, India is a baby and a great-grandmother laughing.
"Light Up the World" by Mark Simpson is a collection of poetry and prose that seeks to enlighten the reader.
Each of the thirteen chapters includes a thematic poem and a follow up essay. One that struck me is "Moving On."
“MOVING ON
I’m moving on to other things
For in my heart a songbird sings
So this goodbye is harder still
For it knows love and bears no ill”
The following prose goes on to discuss change and how choosing different options in our lives can be both positive and negative. The newness can bring fresh outlooks that might otherwise have been missed. This was a powerful section.
Other sections include: Awake, Follow Your Heart, Courage, Silence, Darkness, Rising, Soul, Creativity, True Nature, Inspiration, Light Up the World, and Love and Beyond.
These thirteen sections each highlight a spirituality found within quiet moments of self-reflection. The poet has done a lovely job of incorporating poetry in his prose.
"Santa and the Ho-Ho-Ho Zone, How the Children of the World Saved Christmas" by Brothers Payack is a modern masterpiece. Part Dr. Seuss, part Aesop's Fables, this poetic story reminded me also of another brother team: the Brothers Grimm.
While one brother, Peter, playfully and poetically expresses the effects of global warming through this tale of Santa and his elves and community, the other brother, Paul, has created whimsically old-fashioned looking collages to illustrate the story.
The tale begins:
"An oft' overlooked fact
that needs to be said,
is the effect of global warming,
on Santa's sled,"
This straight to the point tone, mixing fantasy with non-fiction, creates a deep allegory of our current global crises. In the end, as the world pulls together to better themselves, communities strengthen around the globe, to the North Pole and back.
Entertaining for adults, and a nimble lesson for children, "Santa and the Ho-Ho-Ho Zone" is a brilliant little story with a big message.
"RAIN Dark as Water in Winter" by Eileen Albrizio is a literary and poetic breath taker. Split in half, the first part is a poetic play while the second part is poetry. Throughout it all, the language is lovely, easy to understand, and beautifully relatable. From family ties to the intimacies of lovers; from personified gardens to childhood dreams, it is all here, in one volume, ready to read on those dark days.
"Maeve's Poetic Vibes" by Elisient Maeve Vernon is a Christian poetry book. A memoir in poems from a woman who has been a children’s minister, Christian mother and wife of a Christian pastor, this collection would be a blessed read for believers in Jesus Christ.
The book of poetry is separated by theme, including a section of cute and rhyming children's poems, highlighting the author's experience in childhood ministry. There are poems of inward reflection, gratitude, worry, praise, and grief. Most are uplifting and all focus on a loving Christian god.
From "Service: Where do you stand?"
Where do you stand in the arena of things?
Down front in the limelight for all to see
what a wonderful person you’ve turned out to be?
Or smack in the middle… a great place to hide.
No one will notice you … let your abilities slide...
Where do you stand in the arena of things?
Why not stand humbly in the rear…
willing, available, waiting from God to hear?
How can you serve? How can you share?
The answer is simple... be willing, be there!
Inter-personal relationships between mother and son, wife and husband, and god and humans are explored. There is an entire section about church leaders, obviously inspired by her pastor husband.
From "To A Pastor"
You’ve passed through bitter waters,
You’ve had so many foes
And Satan like a monster,
Has thrown so many blows:
But you have fought them skilfully
With Jesus at your side,
With prayer as your weapon and
The Bible as your guide.
This book could provide moments for inspirational religious meditation. It would make an excellent read for Christian mothers, religious education/C.C.D. teachers/catechists, and for other people who may appreciate an uplifting collection of Christian poetry.
