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Recommend this book:
Woman Strong
Anna Casamento Arrigo
2020 Honorable Mention
108 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Shannon Winings for Readers' Favorite
Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo is a collection of poems that address many questions with the main one asking what it means to be a woman. Today, being a woman is fraught with abuses, lack of control, and many barriers despite achieving basic freedoms like voting. All of this and more is captured in Woman Strong. Anna Casamento Arrigo also captures the strength, vulnerability, happiness, and love that comes with so many life experiences. Each poem varies and allows the reader a brief view of a life event like birth, divorce, and death. Interspersed with photographs and art of Heydi Quezada, this collection of poems shows readers many of the nuances of being a woman in such a beautiful way that tears came to my eyes numerous times.
As an avid reader, I like to read a variety of genres and I have a special spot for remarkable poetry. This collection was one of those. The author varies the length of poems and kept me reading with this tactic. This wasn’t the only aspect that kept me going though. The author evokes many emotions with each poem and I may have even shed a tear at the end. Some poems are able to capture the nuance of a moment which made my mind bloom with dozens of images. Perhaps the greatest part for me was that the author managed to expertly portray the life stages of a woman and show the raw strength that accompanies them. Simply put, Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo was breathtaking.
Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo is a collection of poems that address many questions with the main one asking what it means to be a woman. Today, being a woman is fraught with abuses, lack of control, and many barriers despite achieving basic freedoms like voting. All of this and more is captured in Woman Strong. Anna Casamento Arrigo also captures the strength, vulnerability, happiness, and love that comes with so many life experiences. Each poem varies and allows the reader a brief view of a life event like birth, divorce, and death. Interspersed with photographs and art of Heydi Quezada, this collection of poems shows readers many of the nuances of being a woman in such a beautiful way that tears came to my eyes numerous times.
As an avid reader, I like to read a variety of genres and I have a special spot for remarkable poetry. This collection was one of those. The author varies the length of poems and kept me reading with this tactic. This wasn’t the only aspect that kept me going though. The author evokes many emotions with each poem and I may have even shed a tear at the end. Some poems are able to capture the nuance of a moment which made my mind bloom with dozens of images. Perhaps the greatest part for me was that the author managed to expertly portray the life stages of a woman and show the raw strength that accompanies them. Simply put, Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo was breathtaking.
Recommend this book:
Hurricane Warning
Poems
Matthew Ryan Defibaugh
2020 Bronze Medal
58 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh shares poetic insights into the everyday challenges faced by those who have disabilities. He took the very fabric of his being and turned it into words that echo deep inside the hearts of those who can comprehend what it's like to be impaired. From the joy of a gentle breeze to the pain of becoming wheelchair-bound, going through surgery and pneumonia, to explaining how we sometimes have to heal ourselves, Defibaugh has bared his soul. Moments of undying love and courage, pain, sadness and loss are transformed into poetry.
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh is an amazing collection of poetry written in various styles. I love the way Defibaugh has shown through poetry and verse how people can rise above disabilities and strive for something greater, even if the task seems unbearably difficult. Sharing everything he feels and thinks during times of comfort, sorrow and love with such a deep emotional impact is a true inspiration. I love how the author has given a voice to the deepest emotions that reveal true respect and understanding for the beauty of life. I recommend Hurricane Warning to everyone, even those who do not generally read poetry. Every single page carries the words that will inspire and encourage others to persevere, no matter what obstacles and milestones may be barring the path to success. I hope that Defibaugh has many more poems for future collections.
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh shares poetic insights into the everyday challenges faced by those who have disabilities. He took the very fabric of his being and turned it into words that echo deep inside the hearts of those who can comprehend what it's like to be impaired. From the joy of a gentle breeze to the pain of becoming wheelchair-bound, going through surgery and pneumonia, to explaining how we sometimes have to heal ourselves, Defibaugh has bared his soul. Moments of undying love and courage, pain, sadness and loss are transformed into poetry.
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh is an amazing collection of poetry written in various styles. I love the way Defibaugh has shown through poetry and verse how people can rise above disabilities and strive for something greater, even if the task seems unbearably difficult. Sharing everything he feels and thinks during times of comfort, sorrow and love with such a deep emotional impact is a true inspiration. I love how the author has given a voice to the deepest emotions that reveal true respect and understanding for the beauty of life. I recommend Hurricane Warning to everyone, even those who do not generally read poetry. Every single page carries the words that will inspire and encourage others to persevere, no matter what obstacles and milestones may be barring the path to success. I hope that Defibaugh has many more poems for future collections.
Recommend this book:
Seasons of the Soul
Nidhi Kaur
2020 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Readers' Favorite
Seasons of the Soul is a collection of philosophical poetry by Nidhi Kaur. It has many eloquent, often short poems that show the relationship between a woman seeking love and a beloved she longs for, and can also be used to describe a deeper search for peace and meaning in the stages of life. The book summarizes four “seasons” or life stages in the love journey and these four seasons are examined through intricate sets of poems paired with pictures, predominantly of leaves and flowers, to create a strong sensory experience. The seasons—Season of Longing; Season of Remembrance; Season of Love; and Season of Enlightenment—take the narrator and reader through a life journey of finding love.
The poetical quality of Seasons of the Soul is delicate and gentle. The broader spiritual growth that can be applied to this cascading waterfall of poems gives them a lot of depth and Nidhi Kaur’s writing merits close attention for the quiet elegance that is structured into each set of poems and images. While many poetry books use images effectively, few do so with as much skill as this one because the pictures act as little verses of their own, accompanied by individual longer poems or by tiny, brief verbal fragments strung along together to create a sophisticated experience. The comparison of the growth of love to the life cycle of a flower as it sprouts, buds, and blooms is carried through the whole book with strength and energy, and there are touches of beautiful lyricism, as in the lovely verse “I have translated all of your silence into poetry.” Seasons of the Soul is a good expression of the inner spirit of a life that is continually growing.
Seasons of the Soul is a collection of philosophical poetry by Nidhi Kaur. It has many eloquent, often short poems that show the relationship between a woman seeking love and a beloved she longs for, and can also be used to describe a deeper search for peace and meaning in the stages of life. The book summarizes four “seasons” or life stages in the love journey and these four seasons are examined through intricate sets of poems paired with pictures, predominantly of leaves and flowers, to create a strong sensory experience. The seasons—Season of Longing; Season of Remembrance; Season of Love; and Season of Enlightenment—take the narrator and reader through a life journey of finding love.
The poetical quality of Seasons of the Soul is delicate and gentle. The broader spiritual growth that can be applied to this cascading waterfall of poems gives them a lot of depth and Nidhi Kaur’s writing merits close attention for the quiet elegance that is structured into each set of poems and images. While many poetry books use images effectively, few do so with as much skill as this one because the pictures act as little verses of their own, accompanied by individual longer poems or by tiny, brief verbal fragments strung along together to create a sophisticated experience. The comparison of the growth of love to the life cycle of a flower as it sprouts, buds, and blooms is carried through the whole book with strength and energy, and there are touches of beautiful lyricism, as in the lovely verse “I have translated all of your silence into poetry.” Seasons of the Soul is a good expression of the inner spirit of a life that is continually growing.
Recommend this book:
Feelings
Expressions From Deep Within
Garfield Whyte
2020 Gold Medal
44 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite
Concentrating on such issues as memories that cling, love - both lost and found - tortuous desires, deep secrets, things pursued, and hopes abandoned, Garfield Whyte offers his thoughts in his collection of poetry, Feelings: Expressions From Deep Within. The titles to Whyte’s offerings provide insight into the emotions he examines within his works, and his feelings about his experiences and memories, including those such as “Yearning,” “Paradox,” “Pursuit,” “The Little That We Had,” “I Want to Cry,” and “Unsure.” Whyte accompanies his renditions with a series of clear and lovely photographs that complement the emotions he seeks to express within his work. The photos are consistent, without jarring differences in type and color that might otherwise throw a reader off track. Occasionally, the text wraps around and envelops a photograph, making for a single artistic offering — a single overall impression to engage both the reader’s thoughts and his eye.
It is clear when reading Garfield Whyte’s poetry in Feelings that he has loved and lost, yearned, desired, and even been forsaken from time to time. And who amongst us has not? We can identify with such thoughts as: “The smell of you still lingers on my pillow,” “Now you stand firm and tall in my life like yon’ oak tree,” “In my mind I am compelled to recreate,” and “It’s such a joy your path crossed mine.” Indeed, these are experiences we have all shared. Readers will be pleased to know that he invites those unable to adequately express their own feelings to find the words that they seek within his works.
Concentrating on such issues as memories that cling, love - both lost and found - tortuous desires, deep secrets, things pursued, and hopes abandoned, Garfield Whyte offers his thoughts in his collection of poetry, Feelings: Expressions From Deep Within. The titles to Whyte’s offerings provide insight into the emotions he examines within his works, and his feelings about his experiences and memories, including those such as “Yearning,” “Paradox,” “Pursuit,” “The Little That We Had,” “I Want to Cry,” and “Unsure.” Whyte accompanies his renditions with a series of clear and lovely photographs that complement the emotions he seeks to express within his work. The photos are consistent, without jarring differences in type and color that might otherwise throw a reader off track. Occasionally, the text wraps around and envelops a photograph, making for a single artistic offering — a single overall impression to engage both the reader’s thoughts and his eye.
It is clear when reading Garfield Whyte’s poetry in Feelings that he has loved and lost, yearned, desired, and even been forsaken from time to time. And who amongst us has not? We can identify with such thoughts as: “The smell of you still lingers on my pillow,” “Now you stand firm and tall in my life like yon’ oak tree,” “In my mind I am compelled to recreate,” and “It’s such a joy your path crossed mine.” Indeed, these are experiences we have all shared. Readers will be pleased to know that he invites those unable to adequately express their own feelings to find the words that they seek within his works.
Recommend this book:
Moments: This to the Next
Poetry - Now and Eternity
Gary W. Burns
2019 Honorable Mention
104 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite
Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity by Gary W. Burns is a poetry collection composed around the concept of time against the backdrop of nature. In Moments, Gary has brought together the various elements of time such as the past, present, future, eternity, now, and brought out the essence of it which is the present moment. The poems are grouped under various headings related to time such as A Point called Time, Moments to Hours, Clocks and Faces, Time – And You and Me, and each of these contain several short poems. The poems are usually a page long and some are just a sentence or two but still pack a punch and often contain a wealth of meaning in just a few words. There is also a short author bio at the end of the book with a list of his other poetry books.
I loved reading Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity and re-read portions of it twice. This is a short book and, at first glance, it seemed as if the poems might be too short or simplistic. But this is not the case at all and sometimes the ones with just a few verses are the best ones! There is a beautiful harmony and serenity in these poems and I loved how they intertwine time and nature into one. Some of my favorite poems are Landscapes, Be Still, Midnight Bright, At One With, and The Bridge Called Journey although it’s hard to pick just a few! There is a distinct strain of metaphysics and philosophy throughout this book which I loved as well. Gary has a definite talent for poetry and his composition is soothing, with a great rhythm and technique. This is a must-read poetry book and I hope to read Gary’s other poetry books after this.
Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity by Gary W. Burns is a poetry collection composed around the concept of time against the backdrop of nature. In Moments, Gary has brought together the various elements of time such as the past, present, future, eternity, now, and brought out the essence of it which is the present moment. The poems are grouped under various headings related to time such as A Point called Time, Moments to Hours, Clocks and Faces, Time – And You and Me, and each of these contain several short poems. The poems are usually a page long and some are just a sentence or two but still pack a punch and often contain a wealth of meaning in just a few words. There is also a short author bio at the end of the book with a list of his other poetry books.
I loved reading Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity and re-read portions of it twice. This is a short book and, at first glance, it seemed as if the poems might be too short or simplistic. But this is not the case at all and sometimes the ones with just a few verses are the best ones! There is a beautiful harmony and serenity in these poems and I loved how they intertwine time and nature into one. Some of my favorite poems are Landscapes, Be Still, Midnight Bright, At One With, and The Bridge Called Journey although it’s hard to pick just a few! There is a distinct strain of metaphysics and philosophy throughout this book which I loved as well. Gary has a definite talent for poetry and his composition is soothing, with a great rhythm and technique. This is a must-read poetry book and I hope to read Gary’s other poetry books after this.
Recommend this book:
Horse Prayers
Poems From the Prairie
Anna M. Blake
2019 Bronze Medal
106 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Horse Prayers: Poems From the Prairie by Anna Blake is a collection of poems and photographs that gives readers a glimpse into the simple beauty that transforms the Colorado prairie. Be it the animals on her farm, the exquisite sunsets, or the daily routine, the poet holds readers captive with her wonderful descriptions and pictures and transports them to the place where life is still simple and the rawness of nature still exists. From the sunsets to the animals to the clear air, the author handles all the subjects associated with the prairie with finesse and elegance.
The poems resonate well with readers and the poet's love for her land, nature, and animals is tangible through the words and pictures. 'Loss' is a poem that reflects the longing of the poet and it gives readers an aesthetic way to look at sunsets and the ending of a day, with a pinch of remorse, and yet it appreciates the 'simple wealth of earth and sky'. It is an achingly beautiful collection for all those who love animals, especially horses, and the collection lingers on the richness and raw beauty that is in abundance in the universe. It is a collection readers will return to again and again - the fresh air of the prairie, the innocence of the animals, the large canvas of nature's daily activities, and the enchanting photographs are real, relatable, and memorable. All the poems in the sections Wolf Moon, Pink Moon, Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon, Hunter Moon, and Cold Moon will leave readers wanting more.
Horse Prayers: Poems From the Prairie by Anna Blake is a collection of poems and photographs that gives readers a glimpse into the simple beauty that transforms the Colorado prairie. Be it the animals on her farm, the exquisite sunsets, or the daily routine, the poet holds readers captive with her wonderful descriptions and pictures and transports them to the place where life is still simple and the rawness of nature still exists. From the sunsets to the animals to the clear air, the author handles all the subjects associated with the prairie with finesse and elegance.
The poems resonate well with readers and the poet's love for her land, nature, and animals is tangible through the words and pictures. 'Loss' is a poem that reflects the longing of the poet and it gives readers an aesthetic way to look at sunsets and the ending of a day, with a pinch of remorse, and yet it appreciates the 'simple wealth of earth and sky'. It is an achingly beautiful collection for all those who love animals, especially horses, and the collection lingers on the richness and raw beauty that is in abundance in the universe. It is a collection readers will return to again and again - the fresh air of the prairie, the innocence of the animals, the large canvas of nature's daily activities, and the enchanting photographs are real, relatable, and memorable. All the poems in the sections Wolf Moon, Pink Moon, Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon, Hunter Moon, and Cold Moon will leave readers wanting more.
Recommend this book:
Tourmaline
Ginger Tran
2019 Silver Medal
148 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite
Tourmaline by Ginger Tran is a collection of intimate poems that evoke the journey through change and transformation experienced in the soul of the author, that reflect the nuances and the subtleties of our existence. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, the author embraces this reality and uses it to explore the psychological implications of the human experience. The words in each poem come from a secret, sacred place where the author defines their humanity, a questing mind that grabs at the intangible sensations, the movements of the heart, the perceptions of the soul, and the threads that hold their life together and bind them with humanity. The poems explore a variety of themes, most of them with psychological hints — thought processes, personal growth, awareness, reality versus appearances, meaning, art, being human, and many more.
There is a unique beauty in the language; its simplicity is deceptive, masking the depth in thought and meaning. Words are so carefully chosen that they take on a life of their own, contributing to the rhythm and the symbolic character of the poems. One of my favorite poems in this collection is the “self-psychology” which invites the reader to develop a strong sense of awareness of the inner processes associated with the changes taking place within us: “keep reminding yourself/ that it is the unburdening / of your damaged psyche / that now needs to find / its own way / of perceiving reality…” Ginger Tran is a poet of the psyche, endowed with an innate ability to capture details of the human heart. The poems are short, each featuring a thought, a movement, an idea, and it’s in their brevity that they become even more enticing and provocative. Tourmaline is indeed a poetic gem for readers looking for poems that are intellectually exciting and heartwarming.
Tourmaline by Ginger Tran is a collection of intimate poems that evoke the journey through change and transformation experienced in the soul of the author, that reflect the nuances and the subtleties of our existence. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, the author embraces this reality and uses it to explore the psychological implications of the human experience. The words in each poem come from a secret, sacred place where the author defines their humanity, a questing mind that grabs at the intangible sensations, the movements of the heart, the perceptions of the soul, and the threads that hold their life together and bind them with humanity. The poems explore a variety of themes, most of them with psychological hints — thought processes, personal growth, awareness, reality versus appearances, meaning, art, being human, and many more.
There is a unique beauty in the language; its simplicity is deceptive, masking the depth in thought and meaning. Words are so carefully chosen that they take on a life of their own, contributing to the rhythm and the symbolic character of the poems. One of my favorite poems in this collection is the “self-psychology” which invites the reader to develop a strong sense of awareness of the inner processes associated with the changes taking place within us: “keep reminding yourself/ that it is the unburdening / of your damaged psyche / that now needs to find / its own way / of perceiving reality…” Ginger Tran is a poet of the psyche, endowed with an innate ability to capture details of the human heart. The poems are short, each featuring a thought, a movement, an idea, and it’s in their brevity that they become even more enticing and provocative. Tourmaline is indeed a poetic gem for readers looking for poems that are intellectually exciting and heartwarming.
Recommend this book:
Birnam Wood
El Bosque de Birnam (English and Spanish Edition)
Jose Manuel Cardona, Helene Cardona (translation)
2019 Gold Medal
96 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite
Birnam Wood by José Manuel Cardona is an elegant, epic, fecund odyssey of lyrical imagery, steeped in time-honored mythic tradition and yet endlessly inventive. Cardona is alternately stentorian and coy – his imagery swells like distant thunder even as it dances. In the truest Shakespearean tradition of using the oxymoron to forge new synaptic pathways, Cardona offers implacable, sublime juxtapositions of language which defy categorization. From Ode to a Young Mariner: "The sea is a bride with open arms/with stout rubber balls for breasts." This perfect union of seemingly unmarriageable images is closely followed by “Handsome men, hard as anchors torn/from the chests of a barbarian god.” This is the second sight of a true poet—a true master of incontrovertible word and image pairings which simultaneously sear and expand the brain. Birnam Wood is mind-expanding in the manner of the world’s finest literature—an epic adventure in verse, beckoning us to abandon all that we know for the promise a new way of seeing the world.
Birnam Wood by José Manuel Cardona has been lovingly and painstakingly translated from the Spanish by Cardona’s daughter Hélène. It is a rare pleasure in the world of poetry to read such an expert and devoted translation. Hélène Cardona’s affection for her father and respect for his genius orbit each other in every line. The magical bond between father and daughter is perhaps nowhere better expressed than in her father’s words, translated by a poet in her own right: “We arrived and the miracle happened.”
José Manuel Cardona’s Birnam Wood is a paean to the importance of awe to human survival. With its roots firmly planted in classical mythology, Birnam Wood leaps into the air time and time again and absorbs itself thoroughly in the mystery of returning to earth. Birnam Wood is inexplicably suspended between mortality and immortality; groundedness and blind faith; past and future; courage and fear—it is a song for the ages, fascinating anew with every turn of an eclectic, sirenic page.
Birnam Wood by José Manuel Cardona is an elegant, epic, fecund odyssey of lyrical imagery, steeped in time-honored mythic tradition and yet endlessly inventive. Cardona is alternately stentorian and coy – his imagery swells like distant thunder even as it dances. In the truest Shakespearean tradition of using the oxymoron to forge new synaptic pathways, Cardona offers implacable, sublime juxtapositions of language which defy categorization. From Ode to a Young Mariner: "The sea is a bride with open arms/with stout rubber balls for breasts." This perfect union of seemingly unmarriageable images is closely followed by “Handsome men, hard as anchors torn/from the chests of a barbarian god.” This is the second sight of a true poet—a true master of incontrovertible word and image pairings which simultaneously sear and expand the brain. Birnam Wood is mind-expanding in the manner of the world’s finest literature—an epic adventure in verse, beckoning us to abandon all that we know for the promise a new way of seeing the world.
Birnam Wood by José Manuel Cardona has been lovingly and painstakingly translated from the Spanish by Cardona’s daughter Hélène. It is a rare pleasure in the world of poetry to read such an expert and devoted translation. Hélène Cardona’s affection for her father and respect for his genius orbit each other in every line. The magical bond between father and daughter is perhaps nowhere better expressed than in her father’s words, translated by a poet in her own right: “We arrived and the miracle happened.”
José Manuel Cardona’s Birnam Wood is a paean to the importance of awe to human survival. With its roots firmly planted in classical mythology, Birnam Wood leaps into the air time and time again and absorbs itself thoroughly in the mystery of returning to earth. Birnam Wood is inexplicably suspended between mortality and immortality; groundedness and blind faith; past and future; courage and fear—it is a song for the ages, fascinating anew with every turn of an eclectic, sirenic page.
Recommend this book:
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/beyond-rock-bottom&media=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31EM2go3swL._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=Beyond Rock Bottom: A Collection of Poetry by Kara Petrovic is a compilation of the author's prose, chronicling some incredibly dark and difficult times in life. There is a cautionary clause as the book begins, a trigger warning for depictions that include suicide, mental illness, and sexual assault. Coincidentally, there is a poem called "Little T...){kind=link}
Beyond Rock Bottom
A Collection of Poetry
Kara Petrovic
2018 Finalist
187 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Beyond Rock Bottom: A Collection of Poetry by Kara Petrovic is a compilation of the author's prose, chronicling some incredibly dark and difficult times in life. There is a cautionary clause as the book begins, a trigger warning for depictions that include suicide, mental illness, and sexual assault. Coincidentally, there is a poem called "Little Triggers," where the author addresses this sensitivity. Petrovic also covers self-harm, gender binary, heartbreak, self-awareness and, finally, absolution and grace. Beyond Rock Bottom is broken into four separate parts: For The Ones That Did Not Love Me (all titled with "On"), For When Love Was Not Enough (all titled with "Of"), For When I Did Not Love Myself (all titled with "Little"), and For Love Itself.
Beyond Rock Bottom by Kara Petrovic is a marvel of rhythmic poetry. The writing is first rate and powerful with verses that, even in their brevity, carry Petrovic's emotion with melodic gravity. There were parts that I went back to and reread over and over, particularly a brilliantly crafted poem to the poet's mother in part three entitled "Little Questions" where Petrovic writes, "that my mother is a woman forged from the iron of the gods; that if I was a storm, my mother was the original hurricane that created me." It's clear that writing brings the author something of a cathartic release. What I didn't expect was for the gift to be extended to me, but that's exactly where I found myself: forging forward with the masterful words of a skilled poet. This is a beautiful book.
Beyond Rock Bottom: A Collection of Poetry by Kara Petrovic is a compilation of the author's prose, chronicling some incredibly dark and difficult times in life. There is a cautionary clause as the book begins, a trigger warning for depictions that include suicide, mental illness, and sexual assault. Coincidentally, there is a poem called "Little Triggers," where the author addresses this sensitivity. Petrovic also covers self-harm, gender binary, heartbreak, self-awareness and, finally, absolution and grace. Beyond Rock Bottom is broken into four separate parts: For The Ones That Did Not Love Me (all titled with "On"), For When Love Was Not Enough (all titled with "Of"), For When I Did Not Love Myself (all titled with "Little"), and For Love Itself.
Beyond Rock Bottom by Kara Petrovic is a marvel of rhythmic poetry. The writing is first rate and powerful with verses that, even in their brevity, carry Petrovic's emotion with melodic gravity. There were parts that I went back to and reread over and over, particularly a brilliantly crafted poem to the poet's mother in part three entitled "Little Questions" where Petrovic writes, "that my mother is a woman forged from the iron of the gods; that if I was a storm, my mother was the original hurricane that created me." It's clear that writing brings the author something of a cathartic release. What I didn't expect was for the gift to be extended to me, but that's exactly where I found myself: forging forward with the masterful words of a skilled poet. This is a beautiful book.
Recommend this book:
Chant of a Million Women
Shirani Rajapakse
2018 Honorable Mention
142 Pages
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Poetry - General
Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite
Chant of a Million Women by Shirani Rajapakse is a collection of seventy-three free verse poems which touch on raw and sometimes brutal aspects of the female experience. These can be difficult to discuss and even more difficult to express, but she does it masterfully. The poems vary in length and topic, but the subjects and themes, whether inspired by current headlines, ancient texts, or the thousands of years of the human experience in between, are clear and all too recognizable. To many readers, they will be all too personal and painful. Notes at the end explain references to a modern crime victim and characters from ancient Hindu and Greek epics which inspired some of the works.
Chant of a Million Women is correctly classified as poetry about women’s issues. No argument there. But in my opinion, it is just as accurately, and perhaps even more pointedly, poetry about men. Not all men, of course. Many good and decent men around the world champion the rights of women, their equal treatment under the law, their education and participation in society, and their respectful treatment in family and work relationships. Rajapakse’s poems are clearly aimed at those who don’t, and who often justify their exploitation, disrespect and brutality by the attractiveness of their victims. She defiantly reminds them of their hypocrisy. And she sadly reminds us all of the terrible waste of so many lives to hopelessness and despair. “That’s why I write, I whisper to the winds.” Highly recommended.
Chant of a Million Women by Shirani Rajapakse is a collection of seventy-three free verse poems which touch on raw and sometimes brutal aspects of the female experience. These can be difficult to discuss and even more difficult to express, but she does it masterfully. The poems vary in length and topic, but the subjects and themes, whether inspired by current headlines, ancient texts, or the thousands of years of the human experience in between, are clear and all too recognizable. To many readers, they will be all too personal and painful. Notes at the end explain references to a modern crime victim and characters from ancient Hindu and Greek epics which inspired some of the works.
Chant of a Million Women is correctly classified as poetry about women’s issues. No argument there. But in my opinion, it is just as accurately, and perhaps even more pointedly, poetry about men. Not all men, of course. Many good and decent men around the world champion the rights of women, their equal treatment under the law, their education and participation in society, and their respectful treatment in family and work relationships. Rajapakse’s poems are clearly aimed at those who don’t, and who often justify their exploitation, disrespect and brutality by the attractiveness of their victims. She defiantly reminds them of their hypocrisy. And she sadly reminds us all of the terrible waste of so many lives to hopelessness and despair. “That’s why I write, I whisper to the winds.” Highly recommended.
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