Official Review: Homeless God Bless by David B Churchill

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 24 Jun 2019, 21:11

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Homeless God Bless" by David B Churchill.]

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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Debottam_55 · Post by **Debottam_55** » 25 Jun 2019, 13:19

A collection of poetry that emphasises on imagery is always a wonderful read and judging from your review I think this collection is a must-read for all poetry lovers. I'd really love to read it. You have written a very comprehensive review with good critical insight.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 25 Jun 2019, 14:19

Debottam_55 wrote: ↑25 Jun 2019, 13:19 A collection of poetry that emphasises on imagery is always a wonderful read and judging from your review I think this collection is a must-read for all poetry lovers. I'd really love to read it. You have written a very comprehensive review with good critical insight.

Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

Niv123 · Post by **Niv123** » 25 Jun 2019, 15:06

These themes are what I find most intriguing and will be the reason I check this book out though poetry is not my go-to genre. Wonderful review!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 25 Jun 2019, 20:07

Nivi Gideon wrote: ↑25 Jun 2019, 15:06 These themes are what I find most intriguing and will be the reason I check this book out though poetry is not my go-to genre. Wonderful review!

Thank you, Nivi.

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 26 Jun 2019, 12:18

I enjoyed reading your review! This sounds like a wonderful little book of insightful poems. I like that the author covers some very thought-provoking themes and uses vivid imagery to portray them.

LeeleeByoma · Post by **LeeleeByoma** » 26 Jun 2019, 15:21

I have a lot of respect for writers of poetry and people who love poetry. It sounds like I might enjoy "Name of the Name" though.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 26 Jun 2019, 15:41

Everydayadventure15 wrote: ↑26 Jun 2019, 12:18 I enjoyed reading your review! This sounds like a wonderful little book of insightful poems. I like that the author covers some very thought-provoking themes and uses vivid imagery to portray them.

Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 26 Jun 2019, 15:42

LeeleeByoma wrote: ↑26 Jun 2019, 15:21 I have a lot of respect for writers of poetry and people who love poetry. It sounds like I might enjoy "Name of the Name" though.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my review.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 26 Jun 2019, 16:50

It takes a sensitive heart to write such beautiful verse. I loved the quote you included in your review. This looks like an intriguing collection of poems. I appreciate your comments and the recommendation!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 27 Jun 2019, 16:19

kdstrack wrote: ↑26 Jun 2019, 16:50 It takes a sensitive heart to write such beautiful verse. I loved the quote you included in your review. This looks like an intriguing collection of poems. I appreciate your comments and the recommendation!

Thank you for your kind comments.

nooregano · Post by **nooregano** » 27 Jun 2019, 23:10

I'm a sucker for good poetry, and this hits all the check boxes for the types of themes and writing styles that I enjoy! I'll definitely pick this up! I'm glad you enjoyed this book, Cecilia, it was a pleasure to read your glowing review!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 28 Jun 2019, 14:37

nooregano wrote: ↑27 Jun 2019, 23:10 I'm a sucker for good poetry, and this hits all the check boxes for the types of themes and writing styles that I enjoy! I'll definitely pick this up! I'm glad you enjoyed this book, Cecilia, it was a pleasure to read your glowing review!

Thanks for your comment. Hope you enjoy the book!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 29 Jun 2019, 08:50

This does sound like a wonderful book, but, unfortunately, I do not really enjoy reading poetry. You wrote a wonderful review, though! Thanks!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 29 Jun 2019, 09:42

Offering the place, date and occasion for the poem is a lovely twist that makes the poem even more personal. And I thoroughly enjoyed the poem excerpt that you included.