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 Colors II provides a variety of poems to unfold by. The human experience that is captured in Robert A. Cozzi’s poetry is resonant and strong, and as one reads from poem to poem, one begins to identify with the emotions that are brilliantly conveyed through these poetic utterances. One of my favorite poems in this collection is one that speaks of grief, in a poignant, yet symbolic character: “The Tide Never Stopes:' “Some days it is bearable / Some days it burns / Grief is a lot like the Atlantic Ocean / It moves in ebbs and flows / Often turbulent and rough / Or peaceful and settled / And even over time / When you learn to sail across its waters / The tide never stops”

At times they are intimate, unveiling scared spaces and through symbolic offerings that meld the mild with the thunderous, the rueful with the ferocious, and the prayerful with the questing. The symbolism in Cozzi’s poetry is powerful and it mixes with the author’s intelligent use of imagery to deliver an enjoyable reading experience. Notice how the poet plays with symbols and the senses, capturing an emotion that is translated in a frivolous gesture in “Lips:” “Your hallucinogenic scent / Still lingers on my skin / As my fingertip gently circles / Where your lips chose to begin”

Kaleidoscope of Colors II is a wonderful collection, a great offering for fans of poetry looking for poems that are lyrical, evocative, and, at times, thought-provoking. In this collection, readers will find some of the common human emotions captured in poetic beauty.