Poetry Books

I do not want to get into a discussion as to who was the greater poet - Virgo or Homer. One was Roman and one was Greek. Both wrote with wondrous and beautiful words, but this book by Virgo is a stunner. This lengthy poem in twelve books traces the mighty Roman empire from the end of the Trojan war to the beginnings of the great empire which was led by Julius Caesar. Aeneas was the first of the great Roman rulers. I had read this story many years ago, and as I read it again, I remembered why I enjoyed this Roman story so much. I have always liked the Roman gods and goddesses, and this epic poem was the reason why. In this poem Virgil presents a struggling Aeneas who has to fight and win many battles before he can claim his crown. We also see the mighty gods and goddesses getting involved in human strife while the drama is played out on earth. But it is the descriptive language that is the beautiful thing here. Words like these can truly live forever.

I read this book while on the beach in East Africa and was blown away. The beautiful descriptions of temples, castles, people, and their motivations for living and dying were incredible. Particularly, the Carthaginian Queen Dido and her disastrous love for Aeneas made me cringe as she cried in death on the fire. Buy this book---it will resonate within you for years.

I'm continually impressed by these classics written over two thousand years ago; some of them are astoundingly good. Seutonius' "The Twelve Caesars" or Plato's "The Republic" come to mind. Virgil's masterwork "The Aenied" lies comfortably in this category and is likely just his version of a tale that had been passed down by oration for generations. It's probably the goriest work of that time I've read too: in the battles heads are lopped off, blood jets out of wounds, torsos and groins are skewered by spears, etc.

The basic premise is that Rome was founded by Trojans who'd fled their home city (Troy) while it was being razed and plundered by the victorious Greeks. But it wasn't exactly a quick journey to a new homeland. A few of the gods (Hera in particular) despised the Trojans and did their utmost to prevent these people from reaching Italy. This epic is about the adventures of the Trojan prince Aeneas and his followers as they attempt to achieve their destiny as founders of Rome, which ultimately became the capital of the Roman Empire.

The translation is wonderful, no complaints at all there from a readability standpoint. An exciting adventure that hasn't worn out over time; it's still as fresh as it ever was and deserves its reputation as a classic of all time. The only nitpick I have is that the ending is rather abrupt, without a real sense of closure. I would have liked to know, for example, what happened in Carthage following Aeneas' hasty departure.

Roman society was enamoured of Greek culture -- many of the best 'Roman' things were Greek; the major gods were derivative of the Greek pantheon; philosophy, literature, science, political ideals, architecture -- all this was adopted from the Greeks. It makes sense that, at the point of their ascendancy in the world, they would long for an epic history similar to the Homeric legends; the Iliad and the Odyssey, written some 500 years after the actual events they depict, tell of the heroism of the Greeks in their battle against Troy (Ilium). The Aeneid, written by Vergil 700 years after Homer, at the commission of Augustus (himself in the process of consolidating his authority over Rome), turns the heroic victory of the much-admired Greeks on its head by postulating a survivor from Troy, Aeneas, who undergoes as journey akin to the Odyssey, even further afield.

Vergil constructs Aeneas, a very minor character in the Iliad, as the princely survivor and pilgrim from Troy, on a journey through the Mediterranean in search of a new home. According to Fitzgerald, who wrote a brief postscript to the poem, Vergil created a Homeric hero set in a Homeric age, purposefully following the Iliad and Odyssey as if they were formula, in the way that many a Hollywood director follows the formulaic pattern of past successful films. Vergil did not create the Trojan legend of Roman origins, but his poem solidified the notion in popular and scholarly sentiment.

Vergil sets the seeds for future animosity between Carthage and Rome in the Aeneid, too -- the curse of queen Dido on the descendants of Aeneas of never-ending strife played into then-recent recollections of war in the Roman mind. Books I through VI are much more studied than VII through XII, but the whole of the Aeneid is a spectacular tale.

Books I through VI show Aeneas on the journey, and a failed love affair with Queen Dido. Aeneas is shipwrecked, and Dido (also an outcast from her homeland, setting out to found Carthage) gets Aeneas to tell her his story, in which he recasts the tale of the Trojan War and his own journey in terms that will lead to Rome. Gods and goddesses factor in here - Jupiter (the Roman Zeus) is protecting Aeneas, but Juno (the Roman Hera) favours Carthage, and is the one who caused the storm to shipwreck Aeneas near Dido so that he might be thwarted in his plan to found Rome. There is jealousy and rage because Aeneas eventually has to leave; Dido dies in a dramatic fashion, but not before her soul being given a blessed release by the favoured gods.

The most dramatic part of the story over, the reader settles into other action that, while interesting, is somewhat pale in comparison to the first half.

The Aeneid is a fascinating text, one of the greatest epics of the ancient world; it takes up the task of the Iliad/Odyssey cycle and 'updates', if you will, the story line into the Roman era. Pharr's book helps the reader to work with it in its original language, easily and methodically, with only a minimum of Latin training (one year is probably sufficient) required for engagement.

Vergil died before he could complete the story. He wished it to be burned; fortunately, Augustus had other ideas. Still, there are incomplete lines and thoughts, and occasional conflicts in the storyline that one assumes might have been worked out in the end, had more editing time been available. Despite these, the Aeneid remains a masterpiece.

[This review relates to the wondrous Penguin Classics
edition of THE AENEID, "Tranlated into English Prose with
an Introduction by W.F.Jackson Knight."]

If Virgil could lead the poet Dante through the wasteland
and Inferno at the end of the Middle Ages, perhaps the poet
Virgil, aided by the skill and inspiration of the translator
W.F.Jackson Knight, might perform the same needed function for
us, here at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st
centuries.
W.F.Jackson Knight, in his very interesting and insightful
"Introduction," makes the argument that "the AENEID of Virigl
is a gateway between the pagan and the Christian centuries."
That much, itself, might serve as the basis for some excellent
essays of analysis and interpretation. But Knight has his own
path to tread. So we should let him.
-------------
"In the beginning, Rome had been a tiny settlement
surrounded by enemies -- and it had needed a strong will:
proud,disciplined, and sustained -- to survive at all.
Rome did survive and was led on by successive hard-won
victories to world dominion.
The early history is obscure, but the process seems
to have taken at least five centuries of almost continuous
warfare, and during that period the Romans achieved
unparalleled success, apparently through unique merits
of their own, combined with a special share of divine
favor and good fortune [a nice touch of Pagan sentiment,
there, to counter-balance the perhaps over-emphasis on
the Christian tie at the beginning]. This spectacular rise
of Rome was a matter for wonder and a certain reverence
to the Romans themselves, especially when, in the
later years of the republican period, new chances of peace
and prosperity, AND A NEW ACCESS OF SKEPTICISM threatened
THE OLD HABITS OF LOYALTY, INTEGRITY, and SELF-SACRIFICE"
[capitals are mine].
---------
Knight continues with his excellent "Introduction" and talks
of Publius Vergilius Maro [usually denoted as "Virgil"], the
excellent, visionary poet and artist who created the epic
poem for Roman patriotic pride, values teaching, and national
identity -- THE AENEID.
I especially like Knight's discussion of the influences on
Virgil as he wrote the epic.
--------
"The AENEID is the third, last, and longest of Virgil's
poems. It is a legendary narrative, a story about the
imagined origin of the Roman nation in times long before the
foundation of Rome itself. * * * The AENEID, as any epic should
be, is an exciting story extremely well told and full of
incident; it can be read as a story and nothing more. However,
besides being a story, it is a kind of moving picture --
carrying allusive, and in a sense, symbolic meanings. * * *
In the poem [the gods and goddesses]communicate with mortal men
either directly or through dreams, visions, omens, and the
words of prophets and clairvoyants. Virgil had no doubt that
the affairs of the earthly world are subject to the powers of
another world, a world which is normally, but by no means
always, invisible, but no less real for that....
* * * The great poets have a way of making what is seen
reveal the unseen; and they seem to do this better if they
collect an enormous quantity of observations on life, their
own and other people's, and then condense it under strong
pressure so that even a few words have a great power of
suggestion and persuasion. No doubt they are all the time

choosing with precise accuracy what is most important. The
result is an allusive and partly symbolic kind of language
able to communicate not merely single happenings but the
universal truth behind them.
These greater poets also reach back across past time, and
represent a view of the world which belongs not to one man
or one generation of men but to the men of many succeeding
generations or even a whole civilization. The experience
which is distilled may be the experience of many centuries;
and it may be condensed and focused by a single genius in
a single poetic statement. That is what Virgil did to the
experience of the Greeks and Romans in the AENEID."
["Introduction." W.F. Jackson Knight. AENEID. Penguin
Classics.]
-----------------
In talking of the other literary influences which helped
inspire Virgil and which he distilled into his own poetic
process with the helps of the fires of creative energy
and intuition, Knight mentions (of course) the fact of Homer
and his two major epics, the ILIAD and the ODYSSEY.
He also mentions the influence of Lucretius. But he says:
"Virgil knew his [Lucretius] work well and made free use
of many hundreds of his phrases in the AENEID, and let them
suggest ideas. But since HE VIOLENTLY DISAGREED WITH
THE MATERIALISTIC PHILOSOPHY of LUCRETIUS, he could not
adopt his thought. Indeed, he apparently delighted in turning
it upside down, and expressing something far more like the

idealistic philosophy of PLATO, even when the phrases of
Lucretius were influencing him."
I very much prefer Knight's "prose" English version of the
AENEID over most of the other ones which I have encountered.
His English prose flows like poetry, and is eminently readable
as well as instantly understood. One encounters that famous
opening, translated so well into intuitive, inspired English
prose: "This is a tale of arms and of a man. Fated to be
an exile, he was the first to sail from the land of Troy
and reach Italy, at its Lavinian shore. He met many
tribulations on his way both by land and on the ocean; high
Heaven willed it, for Juno was ruthless and could not forget
her anger. And he had also to endure great suffering in
warfare."
Inspiring and instructive, for Romans, for Dante, and
for us!

This books makes a good read for daily meditation. It transpires so much of the bible in simple verse with a touch of every day life and living. Truly and inspiring and inspirational book of poetry. Once you start, you wouldn't want to put it down and every time you read it you get a new message in regards to what you are going through at that time. Very, very good read. Truly a godsend.

This book encumbers the word of god in a poetic fashion. Each poem deals with the word of god and the goodness he can do for you. I have been able to establish a deeper connection with god through these poems.I am thankful for the spiritual insight I have recieved from this book. This book has made a my walk with god as well as my walk through life enjoyable and exciting. Don't waste another minute- come and see the difference this book can make in your life!

This author writes from her heart. Her scripts are thought provoking and fun.

This book is written with the intensity of the Holy Sprit . It is Spirt lead and I have been uplifted by it. Many of the poems
shared love and hope ,encouragement and joy. The author has taken her deepest feeling and has created an inspirational song book of poems. Thank -you Roberta

After the Storm is Over is an inspired collection of heart-felt and insightful poetry that reflects the "spirit-filled" life. It will motivate you regardless of your relationship with your God. True poetry lovers will be swept away and transformed by this diverse body of work. It makes a good gift for anyone. Get your spirit jump-started today with "After the Storm is Over"!! YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!

God bless you and much success. I'll pass on the word about your book!

The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon
This compeling memoir took me into the most intimate life of these two outstanding poets. The details are such that I felt that I was actually a part of their lives. Jane Kenyon's life and death are contrasted in words that bring her to life by one that knows her best. A most excellent read.

Donald Hall's memoir of health and illness with his wife Jane Kenyon has stood in my mind years after I read this book. It is an understanding of issues in living through a bout of illness, of survival to regain health, or the fall when one loses the fight.

Above all the book is of a poet who loves another fellow poet.

But I think poetry is secondary to loving a wife who shared his home and passions for animals, people, words and social engagements to be with people who appreciated their love of literature and the love in the marriage.

I thought this book was a wonderful, loving tribute to the author's wife. :)

I recently finished reading Jane Kenyon's collected poems which left me missing her and wanting more. And so I picked up The Best Day The Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon written by Kenyon's husband--the esteemed poet Donald Hall. While the subtitle of this book is "Life with Jane Kenyon," I would argue that it is not so much about Kenyon's life with Hall as it is about her death, her dying. Yes, Hall does recount memories and vignettes of their life together, particularly how it was they came to live in their beloved farmhouse in New Hampshire.

Mostly I found this touching book to be an exploration of a husband moving through the process of grief, of holding on, and of letting go. Throughout, Hall beautifully and matter-of-factly reveals what it feels like when the one you love dies, and what are those threads that carry you through to this end, and what are those threads that bind you to this life afterward: "Poetry gives the griever not release from grief but companionship in grief. Poetry embodies the complexity of feelings in their most intense and entangled, and therefore offers (over centuries, or over no time at all) the company of tears."

I saw Donald Hall read at AWP almost a year ago and decided then that I had to have this book. I was moved to tears in the reading. I bought it and it took me a while to have the time to read it, and then a month and a half to read. It is not in anyway shape or form, easy to read. Not only is language dense and medical at points, but somehow each technical word is embedded in a love that is as strong 10 years after Jane Kenyon's death as I imagine it was at Hall and Kenyon's marriage 35 years ago. It a book that moves you to tears on almost every page. And not only is this written in tribute and memorial to a life of love, but it is a catalogue of life for popular and well respected poets. Writing habits, readings, trips, the things you write and do to have the money to write, the way that dedication is your life.

This is a really effective authoritative publication of Hunter's lyrics. Robert Hunter had a big impact on the lyrical imagination of 60's rock, and this book bears witness to that fact. It presents the lyrics with minimal distractions, which causes my only complaint with this book. Hunter's notes/comments are sparse and usually very brief. Some additional explanations and background information, while perhaps being somewhat distracting from the lyrics, would make this more interesting.

Hunter's words, the inspiration, soul, and backbone of the Grateful's Dead's songs, are here collected in all their subtle grace. His songs read like poems, and his poems burst like songs. Vital reading for dead-heads and poetry lovers alike.

Driving around a curve on a mountain backroad, I saw what looked to be a book lying in the middle of the road ahead. I stopped, opened the door and reached down to pick it up. Must have fallen out of someone's car and then been run over: the cover pockmarked by gravel, the pages loose.

The title instantly grabbed my awareness: A Box of Rain - Almost 40 years of a prodigious poetic output, the sculpting of over 250 songs.

This collection of lyrics represents most of what the Grateful Dead performed - along with many songs either done by other groups or sung by Hunter himself. This book is a superb fusion of the mystical and the mundane - If Garcia's music was the skeleton of the Dead, these lyrics surely must be the flesh.

Would the Dead have acheived anything near their anointed state without these lyrics? I truly doubt it. Robert Hunter and Bob Dylan are in a class by themselves; these writings bear witness to that fact.





Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

... one of the greatest poets ever. in my opinion. reading his poems as oposed to listning to them on a album is a vastly differnet experiences. his words touch me like no other. this book is absolutly amazing, especially reading the things the dead never played. "jack o roses" the seventh section of "terrapin station" is the most beautiful thing iever read ( you can hear hunter sing it by going to the hunter archive at dead.net". everyone should read this, and for the few that really get it, it will be a transcendant experinece.

...and my tunes were played on the harp unstrung would you hear my voice come through the music would you hold it near as it were your own?' Part of the experience of a Grateful Dead concert (and now The Other Ones, Ratdog, Phil Lesh and friends, and Mickey Hart's band) was listening to the words of Robert Hunter dance and twirl in your head. Hunter probably isn't the greatest American poet of the second half of the 20th Century, but he does know how to turn a phrase, borrow a line, and mix a metaphor. And his strange mix of phrases went well with the strange mix of American music written by the late Jerry Garcia. Box Of Rain is a must reference for anyone interested in the lyrical end of rock and roll. The book will clear up many an on going debate on just what Jerry was singing all those nights so long ago. And for all those people who can't understand why the Grateful Dead was so successful, this book will let you in on part of the secret. 'If you get confused, just listen to the music play....'

Former Disney artist Bill Peet brings a Disney-like feel to his books, especially this one which features a great story about what one wishes for and what one sometimes winds up with. The drawings are works of art, and the story gives parents a chance to talk about railroads and wishes. No robots, no monsters, no computers, just a gentle story and fabulous art.

Another of my family's all time favorites. This story is filled with so much excitement and adventure. It is a sheer joy to read out loud. The illustrations are timeless and stunning in detail and humor. This book along with all Mr. Peet's others should be compulsorily stocked on every household's bookshelf!

Great artwork combined with a good story makes this an all time favorite and makes Katy a hero. All of my kids (especially my boys) loved this book. There are always big smiles when I finish reading how "Katy did."

The Author Bill Peet has the gift to spark the imagination of all children. His stories are amazing. There are over 30 kids books by him and I recommend them all!The Caboose Who Got Loose (Sandpiper Books)

This is a children's book with a complete plot, in rhyming prose, like no other! It deserves to be a classic on every American boys list. Featuring a caboose that transforms above regretting her role, and then obtains her ideal. With a full double-page drawing of like say 10 workers rehabilitating a locomotive! How could it get better than that! Warning: my 2 year old Thomas-lover won't let us put him to bed without reading this book, too. 2nd Warning: the same 2-year-old is petrified of the picture of the searchlight shining on the moose on the second to last page. He makes me try to skip that page. Something about the expression of a moose in the headlights that bothers him, I suppose.

Bravo and encore, Darren Reed!

Your 'poetic celebration' of women is a triumph and treasure for the Human family! Your clear and balanced writing style is pure simplicity and gives tremendous power to each poem, phrase and word! COCO WAYS is a keeper, definitely!

Darren Reed's poems visit our lives with memories that are past and of things to be. His first poem talking of the switch whippings reminded me of many a time I had to pick my own switch before the whipping. I can picture his characters clearly in my mind. This young man has a gift. I look forward to his future works. He will go far!

Coco Ways is an intimate glipse into the heart and soul of the author. It is refreshingly candid and honest. Its themes and subjects are not only readily transferable to any reader, be it male, female, black, hispanic or other, but they trandscend the personal experience and broach significant social issues . Even for the less than enthusiastic poetry reader, Coco Ways will evoke and validate our most primal sentiment- the love of our mothers.

I think that the book was very relative to me and how my history was and still is when I was growing up. I just love my favorite poem "Things Done Changed" because I think that it relates to me the most. I also think that the uncle poem intitled " Guess What" was really relative because that is very true. I can feel you on that one. Well gotta go. By the way my name is Franklin Dealno Roberson and I am your student. All I have to say is that your book is astonishing! Check you later. Peace, Stanklin

Mr. Reed brings the subtleties of the old school classics into being with new world soul. If I were to describe his style of writing it would have to be dubbed as hip-hop waltzing with elegance. This young man is destined to be recognized as a literary force in the future. The very near future! Langston has a son named Darren Reed.

The Arkangel Shakespeare is one of the best investments I've ever made. Both the dramatic and technical quality of the recordings are excellent. Buy the collection yourself and discover why listening to Shakespeare is so much more rewarding than merely reading Shakespeare.

It's great to listen to each of these cds with lots of well-known artists. I have now listened to 36 and loved each. If you're a Shakespeare fan, this is a must!

I can't say enough about this collection. This is an absolutely astounding collection of all of Shakespeare's play, uncut and unabridged, performed by some of England's most talented actors an actresses, as some of the other descriptions and reviews speak of.

What I have found invaluably rewarding as a Shakespeare devotee and as a actor is to follow along to Shakespeare's text while listening to these incredible recordings. I did this for a Shakespeare course in college. We'd be assigned a play to read within a week, and within 2 hours, I'd have it all read, while hearing it performed on these amazing recordings. To hear Shakespeare's words spoken as they would have been originally heard nearly 400 years allows for a greater understanding of the composition and the rhythm of the dialogue and verse. It simply does not get any better than this.

I'd highly recommend this collection. The producers of the Arkangel Shakespeare have obviously taken great care in preserving the text of the play and by employing the best of classically trained actors, the greatest works of English literature, filled with characters and words will blossom in your mind's eye. I cannot imagine any library being complete without this collection, and it is nothing short of a delight to have for your own personal library.

Do not hesitate to consider purchasing this collection for your public or collegiate library, or for yourself. It is a hallmark in the canon of comtemporary presentations of Shakespeare's complete works.

This was my Christmas present this year, and I can't stop looking at it. It's almost overwhelming to decide which play to grab and listen to in the car on my drive to work. These are wonderful productions with clear, crisp sound and excellent actors. The classical training is obvious, and many will recognize the names of actors, espcially fans of BBC television. Ciaran Hinds as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra is wonderful. He's also in The Winter's Tale. For any fan of Shakespeare this is a terrific investment. For teachers of British literature it is also a wonderful classroom resource.

This is a gorgeous production that is indeed a treasure. I listen with a Creative Zen Vision player and every word is delicious. I have enjoyed the first seven plays, thru Hamlet, and every nuance, every word, every inflection, pause, sound, background music theme and all the audio panorama makes every minute an absolute delight. I am now in a quandary about whether to continue listening thru the series or begin again to search among the endless audio treasures for gems I might have missed. This Arkangle series is a gift from the gods and worth many times its price. This kind of talent, dedication and flawless performance beggars description.

I loved this poem and laughed...enjoyed...and re-read it. Just a fun tale and the illustrations are really quite vivid and enlightening adding a quality to the storyline.

I saw this book in my son's school library and bought it through Amazon the very same day. A great rhyming story to read aloud. My son and I both enjoy reading this book. Highly recommended!

I recently saw this poem recited in a vaudeville show in the Yukon. A couple of days later when I saw the book I just had to buy it. Although the story is morbid, I think the sound of the words and the colorful pictures will appeal to my 10-month old grandson (if he's allowed to hear it read). Great book!

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. My dad used to read it as a bedtime story. The pictures in this version are not as big as those in the original which was a little dissapointing. Otherwise the book is exactly as I remembered it.

I recently saw this poem used effectively with a sixth grade Social Studies class studying the Yukon Gold Rush. The poem with it's morbid/supernatural theme is intriguing to kids in the middle school years and the colorful yet somewhat archaic and ambiguous language led to a great beginning Socratic Seminar. This type of "picture book" should be used more often with older students and as another reviewer mentioned this poem would make a great extension to a literature unit on narrative poems or as a supplemental reading to a classic novel like Jack London's CALL OF THE WILD. And though I had never heard this poem before someone recently told me it is a classic to tell around the campfire especially when camping in the snow.

I had to read this book for a freshman lit course and I must say, it was such a wonderful read that it never felt like work. I'd buy another copy in a heartbeat if mine was lost. Excellent work!

A great job done by the authors for a multimedia piece that reflects America's melting pot story. The people are real and the work itself should inspire immigrants and descendants of immigrants to share the experience. I found the CD fascinating as a work to be enjoyed with the book. A wonderful job! I look for more work by the authors.

The book is well done except the authors failed to include the ethnicity that was and continues to be among the largest immigrant group, the Irish. The authors dropped the ball on that one.

If there was ever a time when we needed to be reminded that immigrants are the heart and soul of what makes this a textured, rich and interesting country, this is it. This book and its companion museum exhibit, which I was lucky enough to come upon serendipitously at Purchase College's Neuberger Museum, celebrates the gifts we have received as a nation from the diverse people who have struggled first to get here, and then to make a life for themselves here. Before we build walls on borders, before we villify those who are different from us, let's appreciate what we are gaining from the immigrants who choose the US as their home. Let's remember that very few of us are Native American. We have all benefitted from the open door to America.

Book is an excellent companion to a travelling show we saw at the University of Maine in Orono. It captures in an extraordinary fashion the incredible ethnic and cultural diversity within a relatively small section of Queens, NY.

Diary of My Heart was given to me by a friend for Christmas. I have been going through a hard time and this was an unexpected gift because the book has not been advertised, but was much better than I expected. The author obviously has suffered through a painful life and shared her feelings with great passion and straight to the point. I plan on sending this as gifts to other friends of mine and highly recommend it. It is a big surprise in a small unsuspecting package. A must read for anyone.

This book is real! The fact that I could relate to this book kept me reading. Told in a style that puts you in the head or heart of someone in pain. It was almost painful at times the feelings of a soul and heart torn apart by bad relationships/loss and more. Diary of My Heart was a wonderful book that I was glad I bought and added to my book collection.

The title of this book Diary of My Heart says it all. I felt as if I'd picked up a diary of someone in great pain. It was impossible not to feel for the author with things like this

"When did I lose who I wanted to be,
Everything in the world seemed so possible to me.
Closing my eyes I could see the world stretched open just waiting for me, All those dreams seemed possible to me"

I could relate to her feelings of loss and disappointment in decisions she'd made that sacrified part of who she was. It was easy to understand where she was coming from.
This was obviously from her life and opened the door wide for us to read. It was as advertised and I liked it.

This was a small book, but a wonderful treat for my senses. This is a great first book for an author. The poems are easily understood and are thought provoking. Absolutely adored this book. Poetry should flow from the person's experiences and this one does that. Easy to pick this up and read it in one sitting!

I got this book at the urging of a friend. Let me just say I was skeptical. This book was worth it. From the beginning it opened up this woman's soul for all to see. It is heartwrenching and beautiful in the way each poem breaks free to allow pain to come forth. Never have I felt as if I were with the person when I was reading a piece of work such as this, but at times I felt as if I shouldn't be reading this it is too personal too honest. However, I am so happy I did because hope shines through brilliantly and in simple terms anyone could relate to. Eagerly I recommend this book to others and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.