Official Review: Poetry for Life by Booker T Smith

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 29 Mar 2019, 08:23

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poetry for Life" by Booker T Smith.]

4 out of 4 stars

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To even begin to understand and fully appreciate this collection of poems, the reader must first become familiar with the author’s vocational background. Booker T. Smith, Jr. served as a Juvenile Probation Officer and Detention Counselor, in the state of Alabama, for thirty years. He developed the Behavior Aide Program, “designed to maximize the child’s potential, while minimizing behavioral conflicts”. While employed with the Mobile Mental Health Center, he acquired over 2,000 hours of therapeutic contact with runaways. He later served as an Addiction Therapist and accumulated over 2,000 hours in that role.

In the author’s Dedication, he pens “I thank the Spirit of the Lord for guiding and leading me to write inspirational poems. The inspiration flowed like cooling waters from a mountain stream”. Accordingly, the accompanying art on this page shows a beautiful stream flowing amidst trees, dressed in autumn’s finest orange and yellow leaves.

I was mesmerized with his collection of poems. His words elicite strong visual images. Additionally, I found the illustrations and artwork to be captivating and the perfect complements for his poetry. Some of the art is more simplistic in nature; however, it is exactly what the poem requires as a companion. Other illustrations are more complex.

Written in rhymes, these poems are short and very quick reads. Most of his poems evoke a very solemn and grave tone. Some of my favorite selections are his poems that paint the despair and utter hopelessness that the author sensed in some of his patients. Perhaps one of the most poignant poems is The Lost Souls, where the author pens “Let the bullets fly. Let them land where they may. Cause I’m ready to die today”. Also, I could sense the desperation in When I Die, where Smith writes “No need to look above. Look below cause Hell is where I’ll go”.

Then, there are more uplifting poems that present a stark contrast to the sadder ones. In the poem Hope, one sentence states “Hope is a hand reaching out in the dark, looking for a place to start”. Also, I appreciated the brief respite, from the sadness, in both The Bird and The Rabbit.

For all the reasons listed above, I award Poetry for Life: Dreaming in Color by Booker T. Smith, Jr. 4 out of 4 stars. I found nothing in this short collection of poems to dislike. Also, it appeared to have been well edited.

This book will appeal to those interested in learning more about drug addiction, mental health, conflict, choices and their consequences, as well as other similar issues in today's world. It will also appeal to those with an appreciation for poetry. Anyone not interested in learning more about these struggles may elect to pass on this book.

I highly recommend this captivating collection of poems and would love to see it distributed in classrooms for study and discussion.

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Poetry for Life
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 12 Apr 2019, 07:45

I'm not a huge poetry fan, but if I'm going to read it, I do like when it rhymes. This sounds like an interesting collection of poems from someone in an interesting field of work. Glad you enjoyed this one so much. Thanks for the review.

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 12 Apr 2019, 08:55

Thank you so much for this amazing review! I love poetry and firmly believe that poetry collections must be published more often and in larger numbers than they are now. And the author of this one is such an interesting person himself. I would definitely give this book a try.

Jescobar1 · Post by **Jescobar1** » 12 Apr 2019, 14:46

Nice poetry good book not a fan of poetry but this is good

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 14 Apr 2019, 14:14

kandscreeley wrote: ↑12 Apr 2019, 07:45 I'm not a huge poetry fan, but if I'm going to read it, I do like when it rhymes. This sounds like an interesting collection of poems from someone in an interesting field of work. Glad you enjoyed this one so much. Thanks for the review.

Thank you for your comments! I am not a huge fan of this style either, but did find this collection very authentic and thought-provoking.

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 14 Apr 2019, 14:16

Ellylion wrote: ↑12 Apr 2019, 08:55 Thank you so much for this amazing review! I love poetry and firmly believe that poetry collections must be published more often and in larger numbers than they are now. And the author of this one is such an interesting person himself. I would definitely give this book a try.

I hope that you do get the chance to read this collection. His poems really make you think. Thank you so much for your comments!