No Rhyme or Reason (Paperback)

No Rhyme or Reason is a short but beautifully and provocatively written volume of poetry dealing with many trials, tribulations, joys and sorrows experienced by us all.
Unlike so much contemporary poetry these days, this is not a rant of the author's pet peeves, political views or personal slights. This simple tome is a most unusual celebration of the entire roller coaster that is our lives. Each poem is accessible to all who read it, and in most cases you don't have to 'dig' to find some obscure message. One of the most beautiful elements of this work lies in it's simplicity and economy of wording.
A wonderfully crafted work of beauty, not only in it's writing, but in the layout of the work, itself. Divided into four chapters titled: Life, Love, Loss and Hope, each section begins with a poignant haiku under the section title that emphasizes the overarching theme in each section.
Some of the topics covered include love, lost and found, joys and sorrows of child rearing, our connections with God and our environment, simple everyday joys, perseverance, regret, alcoholism, dementia, child abuse and suicide, various relationships, and finding our place in the world. Each of these topics is treated with dignity and emotional and intellectual insight.
While the author's approach to perspective is intentionally innocent, the result is a clear and simple message associated with each piece, and wouldn't be possible without that approach. There's something here for everyone, from the school child to the elderly, with a passionate understanding of what these experiences bring to the soul. These stories couldn't be written without having been lived.
Particularly noteworthy pieces of masterful storytelling that will be reread over and over are: Head Down Into The Wind; Tomorrow Is Another Day; Trite And True; Mommy, Please Mommy; Garden In A Bottle; Sailing Blindly Into The Storm; Lime Kiln Transformation; Numerology; and The Man Behind The Mask.
A decidedly beautiful and unique volume of poetry that is a celebration of human experience that gently reminds us where to find the real 'heart' in life