Relationships between the author and the dogs he has owned are the subject of Scott Tomlinson’s poetry collection Letters to My Dog.

Featuring themes of selflessness, loyalty, and love and employing free verse with occasional end rhymes, these poems explore the universality of humanity’s bond with dogs. The author handles the topic in myriad creative ways: for example, “Precious cargo” imagines a future where one of Earth’s few remaining inhabitants escapes a dying planet with “over one million dog souls on board” ready to restart civilization. “Masquerade” casts dogs as heavenly gifts. More than one poem is written from a dog’s perspective.

The speaker conveys strong emotion throughout. One poem contrasts the Earth’s motion through the galaxy with the comparatively small but overwhelming experience of saying goodbye to a dog: “My dog died/ My world stopped/ I’m waiting for it to start again/ Everything is relative.” Simpler poems recount the trials of dog ownership. “Black & White” introduces humor, as the narrator complains of his dog, “I’m sure he changed my passwords.”

While the popular subject will surely attract some readers, as will the engaging photos of dogs included, the book is hampered by several flaws. The work is replete with clichéd phrases, such as “sea of despair,” “love blossomed,” “the Sun kisses the Earth,” “Drowning in your love,” and “Two lonely hearts,” which dilute their effectiveness.

Technical issues also undermine the book’s professionalism. Readers encounter misspellings like “abscense” or “unweilding.” Formatting is inconsistent: sometimes only a title’s first word is capitalized, while multiple words in other titles are capitalized. And some poems have no titles at all, simply beginning at the top of the page. This makes it hard to determine where one poem ends and another begins. Punctuation is also inconsistent.

Fervent dog lovers will likely relate to the sentiment in these poems and willingly overlook their flaws. Others readers, however, will wish for a more polished offering.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.