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The Blossoms of the Night-Blooming Cereus
by Ursula T. Gibson
Publish America
68 poems
$16.95
Barnes & Noble (ISBN
1-4137-6482-7)
Review by Aurora Antonovic
Samuel
Johnson said, “The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things
familiar, and familiar things new.”In
Ursula T. Gibson’s collection of poetry entitled, “The Blossoms of the
Night-Blooming Cereus”, she does just that.
Right
from the introductory poem, “Why I Write Poetry”, a rhyming humorous
light-hearted piece that captures the essence of why poets are driven to write,
Ms. Gibson manages to draw the reader in on a poetic journey that varies in
both subject and style, but is always consistently good. A diversity of topics
are covered, such as lost love (Farewell, or How To Say Good-bye Gracefully),
death(Why Should I Cry?), every day, ordinary moments(Surprises), and
betrayal(You Lied To Me!).Styles range
from list poems, to rhyming pieces that are easily executed and never forced,
to lyrical poems and even a senryu, but Ms. Gibson’s voice remains steady,
constant, and appealing, compelling the reader to explore whatever subject or
style is at hand.
Although
well known as the very capable editor of Poetic
Voices, it is as a poet that Ursula T. Gibson really shines.Each poem, regardless of form or content, is
extremely polished, while remaining seemingly effortless. Readers are left to
feel their own sentiments, or explore their own experiences while delving into
one of Ms. Gibson’s accounts.
Whereas
all poems in this volume are not biographical, “The Blossoms of the
Night-Blooming Cereus” is almost like holding someone’s life in your hands, as
all good poetry books are. While all the experiences may not be Ms. Gibson’s,
the observances and the manner in which she conveys those observances most
distinctly are, providing for thought-provoking reading.
Ms.
Gibson’s frank style speaks well to the topics at hand. Her manner is always
light and open-ended in the sense that she never overwhelms the reader with
emotion or browbeats with a preachy message.Even when “darker” subjects are covered, there remains a persistently
cheerful outlook, a glimmer of something better to keep the reader looking up
and never wallowing.The poems that are
humorous are particularly delightful and often have a rhyming pattern that
makes them even more effective.
There
is something about this collection that reads almost like a novel, even though
the poems are not ordered in a formal manner, nor categorized. Indeed, they are
almost representative of snatches of conversation between two friends at the
kitchen table over a cup of coffee, if one of those friends were a gifted story
teller and poet. I must confess that I
did what I never advise other readers of poetry to do: I devoured the book in
one sitting, and only then took the time to go back and read each poem over
several times more slowly.
I highly recommend this book as an excellent gift to others. Because of the
aforementioned variety in subject and style, there’s something for everyone.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget to gift yourself. This is a book that
belongs in everyone’s poetry collection, and begs to be read again and again.
Visit the Affiliate Bookstore for more information
Ursual T. Gibson
Publish America
Aurora Antonovic is a Canadian freelance writer,
visual artist, and the former co-editor and columnist for the GT Times. Her
poetry has appeared in recent months over 200 times in publications such as Adagio
Verse Quarterly, Promise, Blind Man's Rainbow, The Bohemian Rag, Regal Quill Quarterly,
Black Mail Press, Makata, The Entouist, and Poetic Voices. She currently resides in Ontario.
Email: Aurora Antonovic
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