Title: Book of Original Poems and Memoirs
Author: Jacqueline Ivey
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781984528289
Pages: 200
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Anita Lock
Pacific Book Review
Jacqueline Ivey’s Book of Original Poems and Memoirs is a collection of one-hundredplus Christian-based poems and prose which reflects her thoughts and experiences on various topics. Themes cover the highs and lows of life—death, love, faith, celebrations, and relationships, just to name a few.
Ivey’s book is designed in chapters that are grouped thematically, beginning with her poetry and closing with her prose. Primarily but not exclusively keeping to couplets, the Book of Original Poems and Memoirs also includes cinquains, acrostics, alliteration poems, limericks, and even one with portmanteaus.
Regardless of her format, Ivey’s writing style flows gently and sequentially from one line to the next. Her poetry relays personal stories and reflections which are relatable, especially to those in the Christian faith. Ivey’s own convictions provide a tender and thought-provoking “Helen Steiner Rice” type of inspiration.
Early on in Ivey’s book, she dedicates a good portion of her poems to her belated husband. While five poems describe the agony of watching him deteriorate and her internal struggles combined with addressing them via her faith, twenty-nine others (later in the book) focus on the love and devotion she had for her husband.
Amongst the poems designed in couplets, there are four that stand out. “Stop the Gun Violence” is a mix of historical highlights and the author’s viewpoints on the issue. “Life in the Slum” focuses on the “odious lunacy” of this form of living. “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Yearling” are two longer poems which aptly capture the morals of well-known pieces of literature by the same names.
Keeping to a rhyming structure, Ivey includes a few limericks, such as “A Man and His Bride” (a reflection on when she got married); “Mom and Dad” (a reflection on her parent’s marriage); and two random poems on creatures: “The Bird Overhead” and “The Tree Frog.”
Ivey’s skill with pen and paper shows itself, especially when she takes readers off the rhythmic path and delves into acrostic, such as in “Lord, I Praise Thee,” which is structured on her first name, and “It’s Thanksgiving Day”—structured on the word “thanksgiving.” Alliteration is cleverly used in two poems, “Santa Claus” and “Fabriana.”
Amid a small handful of cinquains, three poems stand out: “Onion,” “The Potato,” and “The Lemon.” The poems personify the edibles and present aspects of the types of food from their point of view. In “If I Could,” Ivey joins terms to create new ones (portmanteaus), such as “grapple” (grapefruit and lemon) and a “kime” (lime and kiwi).
Closing on an entirely different note, Ivey includes her memoirs and letters, many of which reflect family life and raising children, aspects that parents will find relevant. Book of Original Poems and Memoirs is an inspirational read from beginning to end.
