“Staying Alive” (A book review)

Tags

Journaling, Poetry, Reflections

I was so moved by this book, when I went to add it to my Book Lust journal it came out in a bit of a poem. I connected with the feelings and reality in it on so many levels that it was sometimes hard to separate my own feelings from those of the writers. One of the best books of poems I’ve ever read.

Anthology
A Book of Poems
(in praise of “Staying Alive”)

Like eating a rich, chocolatey Hersey bar
scored in small, bite-sized pieces,
it takes all my self-control to
keep from devouring it all at once.

Not milk chocolate, mind you, but
deep, dark, slightly bitter semi-sweet
like the words of these poems, leaving
an after-taste of memories in my mouth.

Someone else’s, not mine . . . or are they?

 

Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times

Assembling a diverse mix of contemporary poets-Mary Oliver, W.H. Auden, Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, Louise Gluck, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Rita Dove, and hundreds more-Staying Alive is a unique anthology that illuminates the vital force of our humanity, the passion of our aspirations, the power of our spirituality. From the enigma of death to the sweetness of friendship, these poems speak to life’s mysteries and consolations and help us navigate the most trying times in recent memory. Staying Alive is already an astonishing best-seller in the United Kingdom, where it has gained a wide-ranging audience. This new edition, specially revised for its American readership, reconnects acionados and newcomers alike to the force of poetry, helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves.

(on Amazon at “Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times”)