Title: Poems From a Gypsy Heart
Author: Verle Jean
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1469167787
Pages: 660
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Pacific Book Review
“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”- William Woodsworth. Poems From a Gypsy Heart is a collection of brilliant and well-written poems which showcases the raw talent and skill of author/poet Verle Jean. It is a lyrical voyage that transfers a reader to a world of fantasy – and a degree of reality – throughout the reading.
The author has written the poems so delightfully which reflects the poems celebration of nature. She has created thought, life, emotion, and willpower in the objects such as shown in the following extract of the poem Trees in a Storm: I wish I struggled through the wind / and felt the rain in torrents, / send cleanse my fears, / until reborn strengthened, / by the trial of the storm.
The keen and creative inflection present in this work of art adds to the enjoyment. Some of the entries such as Love and Stature are short, while others like Messages are long but both kinds carry heavy themes. Poems From a Gypsy Heart has explored nature and its sounds in a fiery and profound way that will undoubtedly meld with every reader.
Further, Verle has used visuals alongside some poems such as Fingers and Seashells, to accentuate the graceful fluidity in the poems. In one of the poems with the title: The Naked Lady, the writer examines the kindness of humanity by displaying the sympathy a policeman, who was driving by in his car, showed by covering a woman’s innocence. The tone in the poems varies.
In the poem Forgiven, Sept 11, 2011, with the extract below, the tone present is one of sadness. I cannot cry, / Earth’s deaths are, / Common things, / The infinite trial to heaven ascends, / We have not chosen this, / Could never guess the terror and terrorists / Could meet in one small place. In another poem, with the title To a Dog Named Kati, the tone present is empathy as the author remembers Kati, a dog that had gone through difficult times and always had a look of fear in its eyes.
One thing that stood out for me was that the poems are sophisticated yet accessible to all. I could not help reading some of the poems out loud. Poems From a Gypsy Heart left me with a nostalgic feeling of re-reading the poems. This book is definitely not a light read, but perfect for the cold weather with a warm cup of tea!
