Title: Lost & Found
Author: Taher Adel
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1-5462-9154-1
Pages: 182
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Susan Milam
Pacific Book Review
In Lost & Found, Taher Adel explores “the relationship between a divine creator and his creation.” A writer and spoken word artist, Mr. Adel uses his poetic talents to exult in the heights of God’s splendor and to plumb the depths of the poet’s despair. Although Mr. Adel touches on other subjects, it is his adoring yet fraught connection to God that supplies the momentum for his poetic journey.
The reader is immediately swept up in Mr. Adel’s poetic vision, although at first, the experience is one of feelings rather than connected thoughts. Bits and pieces of the poems catch one’s ear without fully resolving themselves into themes. Slowly, a feeling of duality emerges. The poet loves God and longs for communion with Him. However, Mr. Adel feels undeserving of the forgiveness the creator offers, and many times, the poet falls into deep despair over his inability to forge the intimate relationship with God that he desires. Despite acknowledging the beauty of the world the creator has fashioned, frequently Mr. Adel finds himself sad, distraught and plagued by doubts about his worthiness to partake of that beauty. This duality adds to the complexity of Mr. Adel’s words, and it causes the reader to reexamine the poems as their deeper meanings become apparent.
Mr. Adel began writing poetry at the age of sixteen. However, this volume of selected poems does not follow chronologically. Images and themes recur throughout the work. The innocence of childhood, purity and the importance of a mother’s love are threaded into many of the poems. The writer is adept at creating images with the briefest of descriptions, such as these words from This Place Was Once Heaven: “Childhood smells of freshly cut grass.” The inexorable passage of time and the surety of death weigh heavily on Mr. Adel throughout the book. In addition, candles and the interplay between light and dark make their way frequently into the poems. Mr. Adel’s love for God is apparent in all his poetry. Still, the tone of the poems is overwhelmingly one of personal despair. He yearns to be close to God but due to the poet’s inadequacies, he remains separated from Him. Through Mr. Adel’s writing, he hopes to bridge the chasm between desolation and optimism. Artists have contributed drawings found throughout the book. The images add to the feeling of a soul searching for meaning in a chaotic existence, and they reinforce the pictures drawn by Mr. Adel’s words.
In the poems of Lost & Found, Taher Adel chronicles his journey toward the hope found in God and away from the despair of earthly bonds. Many readers will recognize their own struggles in the poet’s writings. By seeking to light his own path, Mr. Adel provides insights that will illuminate the paths of his readers.
Lost & Found is a provocative compilation of simple poems that capture real life situations and perhaps call the reader to contemplation and action. His poetry grabs onto you and sinks deep within, capturing the very essence of the soul. Understanding the simplicity of his poetry, yet the depth of it on a spiritual level, is fascinating. I would recommend this for any poetry lover and any person who loves to read in general.
