Title: Discoveries: An Artistic Poetic Collection
Author: Jerrel Wolfe
Publisher: Bookside Press (July 26, 2022)
ISBN: 978-1990695766
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 106
Reviewed by: Allison Walker
Pacific Book Review
Readers seeking storytelling poetry with some modest fantasy will love Discoveries: An Artistic Poetic Collection, by Jerrel Wolfe. The collection includes 50 easy-to-read poems that tickle the child peering out from behind our wise eyes while satisfying our desire for real experiences. Wolfe’s poems are accessible to his readers, they tell the stories we love to listen to.
“Summoning of the White Horse” is an interesting choice to introduce the collection. The poem has an element of fantasy about it and the most vivid descriptions; such as, “Throughout the distant sunlight / amidst the smoke and plunder, / I saw a figure on the hill” and “I struggled to one knee to see, / all drenched in blood in a crimson sea.”
Although none of the following poems strike quite the same place, “Summoning of the White Horse” is a fair introduction. Many of Wolfe’s poems in this collection are not literal, they are based in speculation, imagination, or faith.
As a poet, Wolfe’s tone is very consistent. Readers could easily pick his poems from a selection of others. His stories are clearly expressed, fun to read and easy to understand. This makes “Discoveries” a pleasure to pick up and open a page. Many of Wolfe’s poems are a delight; for example, “The Heart Is on The Table” is particularly playful and generous. However, the poet does not avoid sadder subjects. Wolfe’s talent as a poet lies not in dwelling in anger or insult, but in seeking acceptance and forgiveness. Even the poem “Crossroads,” which grapples with themes like change and disappointment, pulls readers through to an uplifting ending. The poem travels from “shattered hearts and broken dreams” to “We can pray for all the answers / but its true friends we must hear. / Realize todays [sic] a blessing / in a life lived so unclear.”
To enjoy Discoveries, readers will immediately be rewarded by stanzas like this one, from the poem “Today I Saw Destiny”: “While strolling / through the sands of time / late one afternoon / I visioned heavens [sic] pathway / there on a distant dune.” Wolfe’s collection is a treasure trove of feel-good poetry you can be happy to share with friends and family. Discoveries is what you pick up when you want to read poetry to remind you this world is a beautiful place waiting to be seen and discovered.
