Published By Fly on the Wall Press.
Many thanks to Isabelle Kenyon for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Blurb – Far from the doom and gloom autopsy of the contemporary environmental crisis, ‘Awakening’ indulges in fun. From the craziness of shipping bottled water 6,000 miles, to how bcteria evolves for a counterattack, this collection laughs at humanity’s war on nature. after reading Love’s poetry, you will never look at nature in the same way.
Could there be a better time for this poetry collection than now, whilst the world is battling COVID-19 we mustn’t forget that climate change poses a huge threat to us and our planet.
The collection is divided in to four sections, Awakening, Origins, Impact and Recovering Hope each one dealing with aspect of climate change and the devastating effect it is having. In Elegant Travelers, Love talks to us about the Tundra Swans that dot the surface of Pungo Lake and how soon enough they will have to move further north as the south will be too hot for them in winter.
What I like about this collection is that Love looks at the impact on all areas life, not just the human aspect but the effect on animals, the land and the sea. There is anger and fury in his words but that is justified as each poem is only reinforcing what we already know, but seem loathe to do anything about. But at the same time, it is a lighthearted look at the environmental challenges we face, it is written in a way in which you can understand, not to say it is dumbed down, it isn’t, but it all just makes sense.
I connected with each poem in this collection, I found myself agreeing with his words, despite never thinking about some aspects before, for example in Jacuzzi Guilt when he comments that he is luxuriating in the same amount of water an African villager would use in ten days. I could happily spend hours discussing each poem as each one is excellently written and carries such an important message.
This may only be a small collection of poems but it is a very powerful one, the poems are easy to connect with and the messages are clear. I would definitely read more of Sam Love’s work and I would urge you to as well.
About The Author
Sam Love’s interest in the environment started with reading Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as a teenager in rural Alabama. He vividly remembers watching entertainment the airplane crop dusters spraying pesticides on the fields near his house. Currently, he lives New Bern, NC where he is president of Nexus Poets that organises a monthly poetry reading. He considers it as good a place as any to observe the drama that currently passes for Western Civilisation
About The Publisher
Fly on the Wall Press is a publisher with a conscience. Publishing high quality anthologies on pressing issues, chapbooks and poetry products, from exceptional poets around the globe. Founded in 2018 by founding editor, Isabelle Kenyon.
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