Friday, February 5, 2016

LOVE. Poems from Constructed of Magic. Review, Guest Post, & Excerpt

Swartz, L.A. (2016). LOVE. Poems Constructed of Magic. Denver: Hugo House Publishers.

Adult / Poetry / Love / Excerpt

I gave this book 5 out of 5 Stars


"You are Appreciated Beyond Human Measure,
These Brief Moments Together
Hold Dear and Treasure."


Just in time for Valentine's Day, this eBook contains eight poems from the chapter on "Love" in Louis Alan Swartz's book Constructed of Magic: And Other Poems on the Immortality of the Human Spirit. 

What a delightful change of pace to read poetry!  Swartz's beautifully arranged words on love -- especially mature love -- have big impact in a low word count. As a middle-aged person (yes, I said that out loud), some of the poems are a little bittersweet with the realities of growing older and how the love between people evolves. But what shines through is that love is steady through all aspects of life, and love is in the details of life. (Illustrated perfectly in the poem "Boston Winter in Love," which Swartz shares below.) 

Swartz is my kind of poet because he uses punctuation (I am not joking -- this is big for me) and he keeps the concepts short and sweet, simple yet profound.  Interestingly enough, Swartz includes definitions at the end of many poems, and I'm not too vain to admit that it helped a time or two.  

I really am looking forward to reading his full book of poetry, Constructed of Magic: And Other Poems on the Immortality of the Human Spirit. I am certain I won't be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me an eBook copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


*special offer - buy the poetry eBook and get a promo code for 50% off Constructed of Magic
 
GUEST POST & A POEM
BY 
AUTHOR LOUIS ALAN SWARTZ

 LOVE OF FAMILY


   There is another aspect of love to celebrate. This is the entrance of the child to the marriage. Now we have another unique individual as part of our world. The child arrives with his own dreams and challenges. He is growing. He is changing. We are listening. We are understanding. We are teaching.

   It is the combined love of husband and wife and then the children that makes the whole - the love of family.

    In our turn we receive love and learning from the children. It is the ability to see life through new eyes. We are able to perceive things we had not perceived. We are wise to let the child take us to places we would not otherwise go to be shown things we would not normally see.

    Let us celebrate the unlimited joy love of family provides.

Boston Winter in Love

There remains for us
The stark white light
Of the Boston Winter.

There remain
Mittens and mufflers
And Cambert* Tea with muffins.
And the treasure
Of each act of care rendered.

January’s freshly fallen snow
Crunching beneath my L.L.Bean boot.
There remain the giggling children
With their sleds on a snowy hillside,
Childhood’s laughter above the Charles River.
Warm woolen overcoats,
The joy of experiencing love in winter.

There remains for us each increment
Of intense happiness given to each other.
And later the children in puffy snowsuits
Rolling in the snow in pink-faced delight.

The utter grace of being alive
In the newly fallen Boston snow.

*Cambert Tea—an English tea for children 
made with hot water, milk and sugar.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Louis Alan Swartz has dedicated his life to helping others find their ability as immortal spiritual beings. He has traveled extensively in Africa, India, Europe, and the Middle East. He lives in Los Angeles with Connie, his wife of twenty-eight years. 


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