Title: TruthTeller
Author: Carmeline
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 0-7388-4578-7
Pages: 181
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

Read Book Review

It is said there are three truths for everything in the world; your truth, their truth, and the real truth. In TruthTeller, author and poet Carmeline has collected a variety of her truths without any abashment and presents each candidly to the reader.

In a modest manipulation of style, each poem is similar in layout with regard to paging and font, yet has a slight variation in graphic presentation; some right-hand justified, some left-handed, some centered and some in other formats. Often there is a stylized graphic design used as segues, a tapered crossing horizontal and vertical line. To me these were reminiscent of symbols in patterns of the 1960’s or 70’s – bringing to mind days when mini-skirts and velour jogging suits were the mainstay of fashion. This dated the timeframe in a very subtle way. Possibly due to having the bulk of these poems written in the latter part of the 20th Century.

More is less. Many of her poems are definitions of chosen words, and frankly each had me very much impressed with her way of using the word. For example “The Lesser of Two Evils” is “A weighty decision – with consequences.” In a subliminal sarcasm, she says if you want to live long and grow – be a tree. Many others weave her fabric on femininity, female sensuality and of course, love. Family bonds seem strong, as also the range of life’s events, including losses of friendships or betrayals. Many poems go unnamed in character yet readers know she is writing about someone, leaving the names out to protect the person; and sometimes she names her subjects. Everything is different yet all flow together in her cerebral trance bestowed upon the reader, as she reveals layer after layer of her depth of feelings.

I would imagine the original poems were gathered from notebooks and pieces of paper in which Carmeline would carry with her – jotting down her transient thoughts at a moment of introverted inspection. The brevity of each piece is pleasant, as not more than just a few are longer than one page. It allows for readers to stop and think – in a way one does when viewing a painting – as to what she must have been going through when writing the poem, and her willingness to invite others into her world.

Again, just like in art creates emotion in each viewer; the reaction to this collection of poetry in TruthTeller will be unique to each reader. I, for one, found myself re-reading some of her poems, as the second time offered new and different interpretations. Carmeline has created a publication worthy of gifting to someone you love and to share reading many times together.