Palm Lines
by Jonathan Koven
ISBN-10 : 1734499281
Paperback : 53 pages
Publisher : Toho Publishing (December 18, 2020)
Genre: Emotion, Nature, Poetry
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.
These heartfelt poems speak to a transformative journey "to rediscover love as both a question and an answer." Seeking hope, honoring family, finding love, accepting time's passage, and understanding gratitude are all major themes explored in this dreamlike collection.
Review:
This is a thought provoking collection of verse, full of life and relationship topics. The poems are set out in three sections: Life line, Heart line and Head line.
I found the imagery descriptive, rich, and beautiful. Several pieces clearly evoke emotions such as sorrow, loneliness, hope and an awe of love. I liked the themes of family, friendship, and love that were shared in the free verse. The blurb description of “dreamlike” is fitting.
Let me preface the rest of my comments with the fact that I am more a fan of traditional poetry, and even freestyle, than of free verse. Some of the pieces made me stretch my mind as I might recognize imagery and sense the emotions, but I didn’t fully get the message right away. It might be best to read the full 50+/- pages as some of the poems in the second and third sections helped my understanding of the first section.
Also, keep in mind that I was reading for the purpose of reviewing rather than personal enjoyment/engagement. I was engaged, but it might take a slower, second reading, focusing in on each piece, to reach the full level of enjoyment that I do think these verses could supply. I recommend this to fans of free verse poetry and as a short collection to stretch those readers, like me, who favor more traditional poetry.
I say “thank you” to the author for providing this work for my review.
Source: 7/14/2021 Author request to read and review this collection. This qualifies for my 2021 Author Review goal.
