This poetry chapbook is a heartfelt effort by the author to share his religious faith. He claims on the back cover to have listened “to the words as the Lord gave them to me” and written them down as quickly as possible.
In 24 rhymed-verse poems, the author describes the importance of God, Jesus, Heaven, and prayer, his fear of Satan and Hell, his father’s death, and sin. A strict moral code with harsh judgment runs throughout the poems, including “To Be Free,” about attending activities other than church. “One day, you’re gonna need the Lord/ But he will be nowhere to be found/ Because it’s kind of hard to pray/ When your body is in the ground.// Hell is a real hot place/ That you will finally see/ And you’ll think about all the Sundays/ That you wanted to be free.”
“His Poems” addresses the author’s stated source of writing inspiration. “When I think about my poems/ I thank my Lord every time/ Because I don’t know what words to say/ Or even how to make them rhyme.”
The rhyme scheme is not always consistent within poems, and some “rhymes” don’t actually rhyme (e.g., “home” and “belong,” “death” and “met,” “before” and “ago” etc.) Occasional uninspired imagery does little to enhance the work: “called up in the sky,” “heavenly home,” and “he knocks on your heart’s door,”). Unfortunately, these poems neglect other traditional poetic devices that would greatly improve the work, such as meter, rhythm, metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance or other tools poets use to elevate their craft to the level of art.
The poems may appeal to the author’s inner circle and some religious readers who enjoy greeting card-style poetry. Without the use of poetic tools and a more inclusive approach to spirituality, however, it’s unlikely to attract serious poetry fans.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
