From Loneliness to Love

I have several friends who are big Kavanaugh fans, so I finally read him for myself. I think this is the first book of poetry that I've read from cover to cover and I enjoyed every page. Kavanaugh's poetry provides a wide range of emotions in simple, beautiful language. You'll experience everything from love to grief. The very personal poems are sometimes tear-jerking, but comforting and uplifting. It is next to impossible to pick a favorite, but "No World for You" has to be one of my favorites. The poem describes a loved you who too pure and good for the harshness and anger of this world. Lines like: "I see you wrapped in golden light / and hold you there. / I see the tenderness of your mind, / and the silkiness of your feelings, / and send you nothing but love" are so honest and heart-felt, that one cannot help but feel that love and yearn for the same kind of love. To me the imagery is strong and angelic. It reminds me a lot of my daughter, though I think it is describing a more mature love. It stresses that love and laughter are so much more important than material things. Another poem that touched me was "Gentle Old Woman" which tells about an independent, elderly lady searching for some yarn in "just the right shade of purple." After she insisting upon paying her own bus fare, she gets on the bus, "Climbing her own Everest, / Winning her own Olympics, / Solving the day's problem with just the / right shade of purple." Like most of Kavanaugh's poems, this one too brought back fond memories for me. It reminded me so much of my Great-grandmother who passed away a few years ago, that it could have been written for her. That's the beauty of his poems. The emotions and people in this book are so real and universal, that they are sure to bring to mind someone dear to you or a time in your life that you felt as he describes. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this poet.

James Kavanaugh is one of my favorite poets and this is my favorite of his books. He shares real feelings, both joy and sorrow. Some poems make me laugh and some make me cry. One does both together.