A Wave of Inspirational Poems offers religious-themed poetry, meditations, and Bible quotes intended to guide and inspire readers.
In his “Forward” [sic], Hodge notes that his collection was, “written for all men everywhere, it matters not of race, color, language, creed …” While this is an admirable goal, readers who are not also devout Christians will likely have difficulty connecting to Hodge’s work.
Hodge’s personal story is moving. He writes in the book’s Introduction and end about growing up on the island of St. Kitts with seven siblings, describing how his mother instilled a love of God in her children through twice daily Bible study. As an adult, he moved to the UK and started a family of his own.
Hodge, however, rarely draws on these meaningful personal experiences in his poems. Many feel more like sermons, either declaring his love for God, or encouraging readers to question the strength of their faith. In “The Power of the Tongue,” he notes, “’Sticks and Stones can break my bones,/But words can’t do me any harm’!/Is this a true statement?/… My ‘BIBLE,’ tells me the total opposite!” Such lines lack the musicality and figurative language that characterizes most poetry.
Poems about politics similarly suffer from being overly blunt, more prose than poetry. In “JerU.S.A.lem,” he writes, “USA God has Lovingly chosen you, long before the world began, as/Big Brother to help Little Brother Israel, live a God promised victorious Life!,”
Other poems are repetitive, consisting entirely of variations on the same line. “What Is Your True State in Conjunction of the Fence,” begins, “Are you happily and positively positioned safely on the Fence?/Are you sadly and negatively crying outside the Fence?”, and continues with this same line structure until the end.
Hodge’s sincerity and religious devotion are clear, but his poems lack the powerful imagery and sophistication that characterizes more distinctive poetry and are unlikely to touch those who don’t already share his views.
