Poetry
Grief and Her Three Sisters
Jerry Lovelady (Atmosphere Press)
Grief and Her Three Sisters by Jerry Lovelady is a gorgeous collection of poems that capture life, love, and loss. The first thing that catches the attention of readers when they start reading Lovelady's poetry is his incredible ability to write with clarity while allowing the fusion of nature with human emotion. And then there are those moments that compel readers to reflect on insights about life and the author’s wisdom. You'll find one as you open the first poem, “The Great River Taketh.” It reads: ''In death there is always life. / In a see...
Violet
Sabrina Simon (Gatekeeper Press)
There are fifty poems in Violet by Sabrina Simon, and that may sound like a slim collection of poetry. But hold on, you are about to step into a world where emotions become life in the words that speak them, where imagery translates the imperceptible nudges on the edges of fragile hearts, and where sound and rhythm measure the pulse of a heart that speaks a language that is universal. The collection is intimate, riveting, and tender, and it is just impossible for the reader to not be moved. Sabrina Simon's poetry is simple, deceptively so, ye...
The Trojan Mare
Marina Šur Puhlovski (Perlina Press)
Lyrical and symbolic, The Trojan Mare by Marina Šur Puhlovski is a tale of the mutations of a country, a woman named Rosalie, and the Madman called Moses, a man she smuggled into the house. Translated by Graham McMaster, this book offers a compelling metaphor for the Yugoslavian society and political atmosphere in the period from 1929 to the late 1980s. Readers encounter characters that navigate the corrupt system that operates within the prism of lethargy, and while some are smart enough to make this system work for them, others are trapped in...
Filling In The Black: One Woman’s Journey of Re-education
Joan Kantor (Joan Kantor)
Filling in The Black: One Woman’s Journey of Re-education by Joan Kantor is a collection of thought-provoking, oftentimes poignant poems that capture the painful experience of the color line and what it implies for humanity. Kantor's voice joins those of icons like Langston Hughes to denounce the inhumanity and the inequality of equal men, solidly opposing racism in all its forms. These outstanding, lyrical, and intelligently crafted poems brilliantly portray the empathic voice of a white woman who stands against racism. She doesn't hesita...
Penelope’s Purple Passions
Penelope Chaisson (Evoke 180 LLC)
A dazzling collection of love poems, Penelope’s Purple Passions by Penelope Chaisson is divided into four parts — The Egg’s Innocence, The Larvae’s Sincerity, The Pupa’s Paradigm Shift, The Adult’s Climax — symbolic of the journey of a butterfly and telling of the human experience of love. The butterfly is Penelope who falls in love and is thrilled by the experience. But then as she matures, she begins to understand that love can be more than just what she feels, opening her heart to its beckons and discerning the call to grow as she matures in...
Doctoring in Nicaragua
Greg Stidham (Finishing Line Press)
Slim and poignant, Doctoring in Nicaragua by Greg Stidham is a collection of twenty-three short poems that capture the author’s experience as a pediatric ICU physician. In turn observant and lyrical, the poems capture unique moments with the personae, parents grieving the loss of a child, the joy of watching a child recover, or the moment caught between hope and despair while “ the irregular heart / strikes the syncopated / backbeat of the bass lines, / borrows from the undercurrent / of the blues: blue lips, / blue fingertips.” The p...
Poems From the Wilderness
Jack Mayer (Proverse Hong Kong)
An ode to nature and the wilderness, this collection of 55 poems is a celebration of the natural world as seen through the human eye. This book is about the age-old human connection with the flowers and the trees and how observing it leads to a connection with the Divine. A few of the poems are an inside look into the poet’s childhood and family, tying in with his deep connection with the woods and the great outdoors. Jack Mayer looks for the sacred in the smallest of creatures in the memories of his hikes and reveres God’s presence in everythi...
Kaleidoscope of Colors II
Robert A Cozzi (Independently published)
Kaleidoscope of Colors II by Robert A Cozzi is the sixth collection of poems that feature a variety of themes, including nature, loss, hope, grief, love, and friendship. These poems range from tongue-in-cheek observations about life to a wry, nuanced exploration of emotions and feelings. Written in a style that is free and captivating and infused with strong imagery, the poet offers a deeply moving and personal experience of human emotion, from pain to bliss, from encounter to deep loss. Blazing and insightful at the same time, Kaleidoscope of...
Trees & Truths
Anntonette Jackson (John Van Der Woude, @jvdwdesigns.com)
Trees & Truths by Anntonette Jackson is a poetry compilation that takes readers on a delightful journey through nature, exploring lessons of growth, self-assurance, and acceptance. Whether it’s society’s role or manufactured lies that are hindering our growth toward self-acceptance and self-assurance, Jackson has addressed all the issues that we might be facing in our journey toward advancement - both mental and emotional. Inspired by her walks through the trees, Jackson presents the idea that our discovery of the truths and knowledge of n...
The Ugandan Tales
Victor Rumanyika (Victor Rumanyika )
Even after the independence of Uganda in 1962, Uganda still struggles to break free from the shackles of colonialism. The African rulers are hypocritical as they preach freedom and liberation but continue to oppress their people under the guise of leadership. The Ugandan people have been waiting patiently for these immoral leaders to give them their fair rights. Ordinary Ugandans now persist through non-violent and peaceful means in modern times. These poems by Victor Rumanyika tell the story of an unyielding regime and the routi...
