Barbed wire

The poems in Barbed Wire, written by John Sterling Harris, include for the most part his thoughts on the western way of life, but are influenced heavily by his stint in the army, and by his religious beliefs. The accompanying photos by L. Douglas Hill bring the works of poetry to life, often quite hauntingly. The most touching poems in the collection and the ones with the most life in them, are the poems in which Harris shows a picture of western life. These are not entire stories; Harris simply paints the reader a picture of a single event, and lets the reader consider it. He shows the harshness of the life but does not ask for sympathy for his characters. Instead, he instills qualities that enable the reader to relate to them, making the reader think about his own life. Some of Harris' poems ask the reader to examine himself, and still others ask him to examine his actions. Through his poetry, Harris is able to reflect a western way of life that is very complex. He does not categorize life as good or bad. He simply gives pictures of western life in plain simple language, mixed liberally with sensitivity. There are few critics of Harris' first book of poetry, as he simply did not attract in-depth study to his work. However, there is a depth to his plainspoken poems that epitomizes the Western Spirit. In just one thin volume of poetry, he is able to show a true portrayal of the pain and triumph faced everyday. Perhaps more importantly, he shows how what sometimes looks like passiveness on the surface of a westerner, can hid a force of spirit that no length of Barbed Wire could ever fence.