Examining romantic love, history, leadership, addiction, and South Africa’s role as host of the 2010 World Cup Final, this collection of more than 60 free-verse poems offers an optimistic outlook on life. Reflecting the emotions of a contemplative young South African man, the work ranges from the familiar and obvious to occasionally more-intriguing pieces that delve beneath the surface.
Interesting concepts explored here include living in the past because of the false belief that only one true love exists (“There Is No One True Love”), the importance of embracing the “now” (“This Moment”), and how living in fear can keep us from truly succeeding (“Illusion of Success”).
Far more frequently, however, the poems provide superficial takes on subjects: “I need her because I understand where she is coming from” (“I Need Her”); “Pathfinder’s [sic] are always looking for ways to find their path” (“Pathfinder”); “Inspiration is something or somebody that inspire [sic] you” (“Inspiration”), and “The image of [sic] drunk person behaving badly/ Surely leads to the family that person come [sic] from” (“Loosing [sic] Yourself”).
As evident above, the work is replete with writing errors. The Table of Contents immediately reveals a language barrier, indicated with titles such as “Within My Sadness The [sic] Is Joy,” “You Seat [sic] Here,” “History Belong [sic] to Those Who Read,” and “The Heart Choose [sic],” among others. Unfortunately, nearly every poem contains spelling, grammatical, syntax, punctuation, and other issues that impede the meaning of the work. The language also lacks use of figurative speech and other poetic aspects that distinguish poetry from prose.
This book could also be improved by eliminating repetitive poems and individual lines, and using titled sections, such as “Love,” “Life Lessons,” or “South Africa,” to guide readers through the work.
Although the author reveals emotional integrity and some insight into complex subjects, without aggressive editing to improve the language and add poetic style, this book’s readership will be limited.
Also available as an ebook.
