4 out of 4 stars
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Homeless God Bless is a poetry collection penned by David B. Churchill. The eclectic collection traverses themes such as homelessness, apathy, spirituality, death, afterlife, racism, injustice, nature, and love.
Churchill's collection spans 133 pages. Despite the modest page count, this is not a collection to breeze through. Churchill's sensitivity to different issues regarding homelessness is evident throughout the collection. Titles such as "Ideas of Rapture for a Country Not Known to the Bible" invite the reader to ponder for a spell, as do the poems, themselves. Churchill often notes the place, occasion, or date which inspired the piece below the title: "Moon So Bright" Supermoon, November 14, 2016.
One of the features I like most about Churchill's poetry is his creative use of imagery. In addition to picturesque images derived from the beauty of nature that I often associate with poetry, Churchill adds layers of depth to his work with imagery related to glass, mirrors, and architectural elements. A collage of stunning visuals flooded my mind as I read stanzas with references to statehouse domes, gothic spires, glass walls, and church window panes.
Overall, I believe the content of most of the collection is best enjoyed without preview. However, I will share a few highlights from some of my favorites. In "Carnival Pier," I enjoyed Churchill's vivid contrast of people of different ages enjoying a carnival. "Name of the Name" contemplates the names people call God; Churchill reveals that he refers to God as "Answer" and shares why. An "Occasion of Roses" reminisces about first love and its effect on us later in life. As a resident of a state known for mild winters, I am quite familiar with the type of early Spring in February described in "Petals in the Cold." Below is a stanza from the lovely poem:
"I did not linger long,
staring at this new palette
of pinks and grays, but
hurried on, too cold
to conclude much
about life and death,
except to note a season
out of season--"
As I dislike poetry that disregards punctuation, it is a pleasure to read a professionally-edited collection complete with a table of contents. In fact, there isn't anything I dislike about the thought-provoking read. I wholeheartedly rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to poetry connoisseurs, and it will also appeal to readers whose interest is piqued by the themes and unique imagery I described.
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Homeless God Bless
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