When Eagles Vie with Valkyries by Paul Hellweg

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MWSA Review

I’ve read a great deal of poetry about the Vietnam war, and I believe overall that Paul Hellweg’s When Eagles Vie With Valkyries is the most powerful and compelling collection of poetry about Vietnam I've read. His work is a deeply moving, visually and emotionally vivid, and often painful book of poetry that shares one soldier's heartfelt journey into the hell of Vietnam where he lost so many of his brothers and was seriously injured himself. Then some decades later, still deeply haunted by the war, he makes a number of trips back to Vietnam to try to understand his experience, heal physically and spiritually, put his words together in poetry, and to feel some real life, some meaningful connection, some sense of peace. He wants to recover the long blurred or buried sense of hope in life and about life. As he notes so aptly in his opening lines in the last poem in the book (p. 90): “Home is the place most difficult to find / buried under debris thrown up by memory

The book throughout is tremendously engaging due to its word choices, rhythms, points of view, and incredible imagery of moments in combat and his returns to Vietnam decades later. Here are just a few examples of the image-rich poetry that pull the reader into the sights, sounds, smells, fears and pains in the war, and then often brilliantly summarizes the poem in a powerful line or two. In the first big section of the book (War), for example, "The Peace of Westphalia” (p. 15), is tight, vivid, and jolting, and opens with the stunning lines: “No one ever told you / the single most important thing to know/in the whole wide world / is how to save the life of a gut-shot boy." "Moment of Silence” (p. 20) similarly wraps so much into two lines at the end: "in the moment of silence / between boot and land mine." Think about that. "Dance to the Dust of the Waltz" (p. 27), which may be the finest poem in the book, concludes with “You clear the tree line, joy surging / every cell fiber, synapse, as / eagles vie with Valkyries for your souls / and Wagner provides the overture," obviously the title source.

Poems in the second section of the book (Journey Home) are equally rich and provocative. They are a bit longer but have the same capability to cut into your mind or heart in just a line or two. In "No Vacancy" on page 55, for example: "The No Vacancy sign...posted at the door to your heart / discouraging anyone / from checking to see / if there's room there for them." This incredible capability to capture so much in so few words is also evident in "It Don't Mean Nothin" (p. 63): "It don't mean nothin' / became our epitaph. / It meant everything." Similarly, in "Sorrow of War," (p. 70), "...the respect due / human spirit undaunted and / suffering unredeemed." And in the last poem in the book, "Michele" (p. 90), the closing is so rich and evocative: "Soft, smooth, trusting / the tiny hands hold tight, and / a feeling forgotten begins to stir / aboard the train long dreamt.”

These are but a handful of incredibly powerful images that fill the pages of Hellweg’s terrific book. I strongly recommend it for the power and beauty of its words and language, and especially for its ability to carry readers much closer to understanding the physical, mental, and emotional impacts of the war on American soldiers and their families.

If “seeing is believing,” to cite a common phrase, then this book helps you see into the minds, hearts, and memories of our brothers who served in Vietnam, and to believe that war experience is never forgotten. It lives forever in minds, hearts, and memories, shaping whomever we are.

Review by Bruce Berger (June 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Paul Hellweg’s life story is unconventional, and “When Eagles Vie with Valkyries” (Hellweg’s collected Vietnam poems) tells his story in verse. The book takes a unique approach to war poetry by being written in the 2nd person, focusing more on life after the war than the war itself, and showing a path to recovery from PTSD.

Afflicted with PTSD, Hellweg spent most of his adult life alone and adrift. Decades after the war, he chanced upon a path to recovery by embracing Native American spirituality. As part of his healing, he returned to Vietnam, fell in love with the country and people, and eventually started living there. He at long last found love: His wife is Vietnamese, and their daughter (his first and only child) was born in 2016.

Healing from PTSD is possible, and “When Eagles Vie with Valkyries” recounts how one veteran succeeded.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 92

Word Count: 10,169

Crow Wisdom: A Seasonal Journey by Jasmine Tritten & Wanda Jerome

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Author's Synopsis

Crows have symbolic meanings in many cultures. Incredibly smart, these birds carve a unique place between the natural and spiritual worlds. They fly into our lives and communicate important insights as harbingers of change to come. In homage to the family of corvids – especially crows – we compiled this collection of uplifting poetry, photography and artwork to shed light on their unique contributions to our human experience here on earth. We hope you enjoy this book and crows find their way to you when you need them.

Genre(s): Religious/Spiritual, Poetry Book, Picture Book

Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Knowing When by Mark Fleisher

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MWSA Review

Knowing When is Mark Fleisher’s fifth book of poetry. It centers mostly on poems of sadness and tragedy, but since that is a universal part of the human condition, many will find that the poems resonate and invite the reader to deeper reflection. Some poems deal with dementia, some with loss and trauma, while others tackle the concepts of loneliness, friendship, forgiveness, and our inability to get along. Several focus on the cold seasons of autumn and winter, parlaying seasonal aspects into emotions of grief and loss. On the other hand, “Batter Up,” is a somewhat whimsical take on a rookie mistake. Whatever the season, the poems are easy to read and understand, while also excavating deep thoughts and deeper emotions.

Review by Betsy Beard (May 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Under the mantle of its intriguing title Mark Fleisher writes of sadness and tragedy, lightens the mood with poems about love, nature, even baseball, as well as a mirthful look at technology. Fleisher’s blend of narrative and lyric styles cut to the heart of the matter, showing the ability to speak volumes in a minimum number of lines. His eclectic collection also invites the reader to contemplate questions posed in the title poem and other selections.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 36

Word Count:

Phoboudenopanophobia by Dan Wetmore

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MWSA Review

Dan Wetmore has no intention of making things easy for the readers of his book of poetry, inexplicably (until page 36) named Phoboudenopanophobia. He warns that he intends to “play with words and make origami of thoughts and musings.” He might have attached a flashing light or wailing siren to this warning. Be prepared for often fruitless internet searches and dictionary lookups as you make your way through this book.

In other words, reading Wetmore's work is a demanding process. You'll often catch glimpses of meaning and understand his intent. But just as frequently, even after several read-throughs, you might find yourself accepting that Wetmore has invited you to continue pondering his words rather than providing a readily decipherable Rosetta Stone for each poem.

There’s nothing airy or easy about this book. Wetmore employs words as tools to grapple with many serious subjects, including Alzheimer’s, death, drowning, perception, claustrophobia, torture, and more. If you’re looking for a feel-good book of poetry, Phoboudenopanophobia isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’re game for a challenging mental workout, you might want to give this one a try.

Review by John Cathcart (April 2024)

Author's Synopsis

Penning a previous book, My Mother’s Gentle Unbecoming, about her descent into dementia, got me contemplating a similar fate, so I wrote this volume as an extended last letter to my family, sort of an “epitaph in absentia”; hoped insurance against having last feelings go unexpressed, in the event the body outlives the being. An exploration of the emotional toll taken on the leaving and the left behind, the title is a braid of the three fears which predominate: fear of having nothing (Oudenophobia); fear—at a point when all is unknown (and the unknown is easily alarming)—of everything (Panophobia); and, as the product of those two, a fear of being reduced to a constant state of dread, i.e., fear itself (Phobophobia).

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 75

Word Count: 8,000

Magical Morning Moments: Awakening to Love and Light by Wanda W. Jerome and Jasmine Tritten

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MWSA Review

Magical Morning Moments: Awakening to Love and Light is a delightful surprise of art with every turn of the page. Wanda Jerome’s poetry complements Jasmine Tritten’s kaleidoscope of sunrises over the breathtaking New Mexico’s Sandia Mountains.

In the last poem, Jerome’s words accompany the promise of daybreak over the mountains captured by Tritten. “The sun breaks free. Shine on, rays of life! No longer do I have to search for Thee. I am here, a willing target for your love.”

This inspirational and lovely book brings a peace of mind and a piece of art to brighten your day. I breezed through it and then again. Thank you, ladies, for this unique gift.

Review by Nancy Panko (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Heartfelt poems channeled through spiritual inspiration and personal messages of love and light accompany photographs of enchanting New Mexico's beautiful sunrises over the Sandia Mountains. Included are glimpses into the natural environment of New Mexico – the flora and fauna – that make it a special destination for nature lover and spiritual seekers.

This collaboration came about magically through a shared appreciation of their experiences during morning meditations. Weaving a tapestry of poems and photographs, the authors hope to lift the spirits of souls in need of love, light and joy.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Artistic—Pictorial/Coffee Table

Number of Pages: 108

Word Count: 3,260

Shrouded In Words: A Collection of Poetry by Patricia Qaiyyim

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MWSA Review

In her most recent book of poetry, Shrouded in Words, Patricia Quayyim removes the shroud covering her life using words. In the process, she reveals her innermost thoughts in a thoroughly candid and emotion-filled way. Her poetry is not complex or overly heady. Instead, the words flow in an understated and easily understood way.

The book’s 100 pages of poetry cover topics such as family, parenthood, faith, depression, and even one of her favorite politicians. The author's words are meant to inform and explain how each of these areas is important to her. Shrouded in Words is a heartfelt look at issues important to all of us.

Review by John Cathcart (May 2024)

Author's Synopsis

Sometimes, we use words to say so much about ourselves; at other times, we use words to say so little about ourselves; and sometimes, we use words to hide behind and say nothing at all about ourselves.

In those times, when we are shrouded in words, we are hiding our true selves from those closest to us and even from ourselves. We walk around shrouded in words like, “I’m fine,” “Things are good,” “I am not upset,” and my favorite, “No, nothing’s wrong.”

In this collection, I have decided to remove my shroud and use my words to share my thoughts, my hopes, my feelings, and the glimpses I get from those around me. The words I have used will give you a glimpse into who I am, what I think, and what I want for myself and those around me. More importantly, they encourage you to remove some of the shrouds you might be hiding behind.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 103

Word Count: 11,978

Thirty Years Ago: Life and the First Gulf War by Juan Manuel Pérez

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MWSA Review

Juan Manuel Perez shows us why he was selected as Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi in his book Thirty Years Ago: Life and the First Gulf War. In this collection of fifty poems, author Perez writes a memoir-in-verse remembering his deployment to the war. As a medic, he saw the horrors of war firsthand. He didn't need to go looking for them; they were brought to him. From a transport plane that nearly crashes on top of his tent to routine combat, the memories of those injured and dying souls still haunt him. In addition to the violence of war, the sadness and separation from family affected him and the others around him. This book is a very good read. It had me hooked from the first poem.

Review by Bob Doerr (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Thirty Years Ago: Life and the First Gulf War by Juan Manuel Pérez (“Doc”) is a fifty-sonnet, autobiographical recollection of memories and thoughts about serving in the First Gulf War in 1990 to 1991, otherwise known as Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm/Desert Calm, as a Navy Corpsman in a Marine Corps Battalion while earning the title of “DEVIL DOC.” It is also about life after that, especially thoughts coming back to haunt the now veteran severely during the isolating time of the COVID-19 pandemic in conjunction with the Thirty-Year Anniversary of that same war, causing spikes in his PTSD and recurring nightmares. The author’s hope for this book is to let others continue to see that they are not alone in the silent suffering that goes with serving our country, especially in war or in any other event that may lead to PTSD. He hopes they can see that by continuing to talk or write about it, that it can become an integral part of the healing process, even if we can’t get the events out of our minds. This fast-paced, easy-to-read memoir-in-verse is in fact a first-person, oral account of one of America’s last global conflicts of the 20th century. This book will prove to be a great addition to your reading selections whether you are a poetry lover or a student of history. This book will surely become a supplemental college reading text in the study of the human cost of America’s involvement in modern day global conflicts.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 77

Word Count: 7,724

Latina Warrior by Colonel Lisa Carrington Firmin, USAF (Ret.)

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MWSA Review

The poems and artwork in Latina Warrior offer a riveting look at life in the military for female service members, especially those traumatized by sexual violence. But the book is not at all despair-laden, with delightfully upbeat praise-poems to mentors and mentees, fellow soldiers, and soul sisters. The book is divided into four main sections with fast-paced, easy to follow poems as the speaker moves through childhood and family life, into the military and combat, then life after the military, then the healing "road to authenticity." The fifth and final section of the book is an unusual and unexpected but fascinating addition: brief reflections by both writer and artist on each art and poem entry.

A word about the art by Christina Helferich-Polosky that accompanies each poem: these are not mere illustrations but deeply responsive visual interpretations of the written words. Many are collages in which the poet's words are superimposed onto photographs or watercolor or acrylic drawings. Each art piece is unique in style and materials. One of my favorites, which partners with a poem about the death of a marriage, is of a skeleton-couple in wedding attire facing away from each other.

Together the poems and art of Latina Warrior create a truly compelling book. The message it offers is important and necessary, a message of hope and healing, particularly for women in the military who have suffered trauma. Thanks to both poet and artist for this truly stunning book!"

Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Latina Warrior is a collection of poems, prose, and art that chronicles the author/poet's journey in a deeply personal, sometimes humorous, intense, and explicit expression. It is in a unique collaborative hybrid format. Latina Warrior is a collaboration with fellow Bronze Star-decorated combat veteran and artist Major Christina Helferich-Polosky, who beautifully illustrated the poems with original art. Both Lisa and Christina provide their insight into each poem and art piece in a section titled Reflections, offering the reader a peek into their powerful collaboration and each of their creative minds.

Lisa's poetry celebrates the joys of her Latina culture, family and life and does not shy away from the intensity of combat, leadership, imposter syndrome, divorce, PTSD or military sexual trauma experiences. Latina Warrior demonstrates the power of using artistic expression to move beyond pain to heal deeply buried wounds. It is an anthem of overcoming barriers to come out stronger, never letting the demons of discrimination, sexual assault, or combat be victorious. Christina created original art for all 50 poems in this collection and her diverse and unique multimedia art brings Lisa's poems to a whole another level of artistic expression. Together, these women combat veterans have created a unique blueprint for others to start and traverse their own healing journeys.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 196

Word Count: 30,862

Life Sentence by Joshua Colenda

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MWSA Review
Life Sentence is an attractive volume of forty-four free-form poems. It offers the reader the poet’s insight into existential issues. Poet Joshua Colenda shares his own melancholy and philosophy and also helps the reader appreciate the fact that most things tend to work out in life. Someone in the depths of depression will find more than a few of these poems encouraging.

Mr. Colenda addresses life’s universal themes of love and loss, anguish and joy, human foolishness, and oneness with the natural cycles of nature. Some poems are witty, others are poignant or hopeful, and all are relatable.

From “Pearls,” which describes how a closed-up person can still build and harbor a thing of beauty, to “The Squirrel King” which will make the reader believe squirrels truly are smarter than people, the reader will not be disappointed.

Both the regular reader of poetry and the occasional reader of poems will find this book enjoyable. It is available online and in paperback. Beautifully designed, the physical volume is a pleasure to look at and hold in your hand.

Review by Patricia Walkow (May 2023)

Author's Synopsis

Through this collection of insightful verse for tough times, Joshua Colenda explores serious, emotional topics with humor and grace, hoping to help readers find their silver linings.

Life Sentence shares poems about everyday life that reveal the author’s vulnerability, his natural optimism, and his respect for life’s beautiful contradictions. Through his lyrical poems about love and loss, readers will encounter self-compassion and come to appreciate that there can be joy alongside pain. As they explore the volume’s captivating stories and witty poems about politics, they will also come away with new insights and inspiration.

Colenda has tapped into the personal yet universal nature of human struggle, and with that awareness, he delivers poetry that hopefully resonates with everyone. The result is both simple and profound.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 125

Word Count: 7015

Free Air Berlin by Richard Eric Johnson

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MWSA Review

Free Air Berlin: Of a Wall and a Walnut Tree presents a riveting view of post-World War II Berlin, Germany. Richard Eric Johnson, a historian of Germany, Berlin, and The Wall, brings these uncertain days to life through poetry from the viewpoints of those in West Germany as well as East Germany. Johnson divides the book into four parts: I. 1945-1961 Wall on the Way; II. August 12-13, 1961 Wall Under Way; III. 1961-1989 Wall in the Way, and IV. 1989 Onward Wall Gone Away.

Each section of poems offers not only what was happening but how people were feeling about what was happening. The aftermath of the war details bombed out cathedrals and “hunched figures exploring somber ruins.” The use of alliteration and poetic images paints vivid word pictures of a surreal landscape such as “spirits needing no walls / seeking free air in this / stench of low tide beach / very few tears / left to give.” And, “hot war rubble.” In Part II, on the day of “Barbed Wire Sunday,” Johnson shows us; “children roller skate / families picnic / tour the zoo / admire fairytale fountains.” But as the barbed wire is rolled out, the Cold War is on, “through flood light / beneath between tracer fire / shepherd dogs / mines and sharp wire.”

Part III is the largest section of poems in the book where a white line is painted around the divide within the city of Berlin. The Wall goes up. Life in a deadly divided city is portrayed from both sides. Families are separated and cannot visit each other; “cold heart finger tips / trigger-touch guns / silent wet eyes / lips blow kisses / across the wall. “The death strip always humming / like a field of insects.” The images presented are powerful and convey the heartbreak of innocent people caught in this divide over war, territory, and politics.

Part IV begins with the reawakening of Berlin as the wall comes down and people reunite and emerge… “open the dead end streets / every interconnection of rails /form up / a new herd of hope.” “All through Berlin / love parade.” Everyone celebrates.

Throughout the book, the reader can feel the oppression, snipers, checkpoints, imprisonment, yet still the “air is free.” Not everything can be taken away so there is still hope, encouragement. The poems show us aspects of German guards of the East and the West; everyday people, and places, offering slices of history. The are many breathtaking images: “terror tethered together;” “kiss the devil’s happy clown,” “all gospels need gossip.” These are vivid images that put the reader into the scene. Johnson’s poetry takes us through these years not only with facts but offering a window into the people who were affected.

Review by Annette Grunseth (May 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Free Air Berlin: Of a Wall and a Walnut Tree is a poetic history and memoir tale of the Berlin Wall. The book relates fascinating stories of veterans and citizens who lived within the Wall and inside the Iron Curtain. The book flows from an Alpha of despair and fear to an Omega of an Ode to Joy.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre:Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages:99

Word Count:4000

Twelve O'Clock Haiku: Leadership Lessons from Old War Movies & New Poems by Randy Brown

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MWSA Review

​In this short work, the author gives readers a ​53-page analysis of the movie, Twelve O’Clock High, and includes 12 haiku poems. His discussion ranges from “lessons learned” and “maximum effort” to comparing day and night bombing in the first years of World War II. ​A good presentation, but little poetry. The poems themselves are thought provoking and in places disturbing, which is what you would expect given the subject matter.

The author is a talented writer and his self-described obsession with the movie, Twelve O’Clock High, comes through in the musings and essays about military lessons learned in the first half of this work. His passion for the subject is evident. However, readers thinking this is a book of poetry may be disappointed. Readers with little familiarity with Twelve O’Clock High can be at a loss, unable to fully grasp much of what the author is attempting to convey. 

Review by George ​J. ​Bryjak (March 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

In a cheeky critique of the classic American airpower narrative “Twelve O’Clock High,” award-winning soldier-poet, essayist, and humorist Randy Brown explores what it means to be a leader or follower at war—morally, physically, and psychologically. The book is packed full of insights into military life, as viewed through the lenses of war movies, history, and the author’s personal experiences as a one-time U.S. Army-trained “lessons-learned analyst.”

“I started out to write 12 haiku poems about a favorite old war movie,” says the author, “but my ‘whimsical experiment in minimalist war poetry’ mutated into a ‘maximum effort’ mix of memory, media, and military culture!” TWELVE O’CLOCK HAIKU: Leadership Lessons from Old War Movies & New Poems now comprises a salvo of provocative poetry, a companion essay about the film, and resources for enthusiasts of World War II aircraft, history, and movies.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry book

Number of Pages: 114

Word Count: 17,500

Heart Songs by Dennis Maulsby

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MWSA Review

Heart Songs is a tour de force of a poetry collection by Dennis Maulsby. Songs of the heart can be expressed in a wide array of emotions, and this book handles all of them well, ranging from euphoria to abject depression. The author uses a variety of poetic forms to convey emotions and experiences, using sophisticated imagery to engage all the senses. The poems range in length from haiku of 17 syllables to longer poems and poetic essays. Powerful and effective word selection ushers the reader into realms he may not have been familiar with, from the wildly sensuous to the stark brutality of combat. There is even a playful limerick to tickle the funny bone. While it is impossible to choose just one favorite poem among many, I was enchanted by the eight-part offering that explores the different kinds of love.

Review by Betsy Beard (January 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Heart songs come from many sources. We welcome those of love, whether romantic or platonic. Our life experiences evoke other songs, whether bawdy, prideful, humorous, sad, happy, terrifying, or in joyous dance — the heart’s percussion, riffs, and chords changing in response to each experience.

Poetry can capture them all, permitting the intimate sensual and intimate virtual to blend. In this book, think of the poems as the author’s sheet music — records of the heart’s songs.

blonde girl’s earbuds throb 
heavy metal guitar chokes 
peppery symbols

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 77

Word Count: 5639

Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life by Nancy Arbuthnot

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MWSA Review

Nancy Arbuthnot has penned a moving collection of poems about her life as a “Navy Junior.” Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life will strike a chord on many levels. Arbuthnot, one of seven siblings writes stirring passages:

“I pretend sleep on the car ride home so my father will lift me one last time in his arms” showing how she yearns for closeness from her often-absent father, a Navy pilot.

As with many military families who are asked to relocate every few years, the author writes of her always flexible mother:

“…our perfumed mother in flowered sundress, pearls and red lipstick, baby nestled beside her as she checks off boxes the movers carry inside”

Blue Rhapsodies is based on recollections of the author’s life, true to her experience but common to so many. From childhood through college years, she was always a Navy daughter. After college, Arbuthnot took on a new Navy identity, a professor at the Naval Academy. Her poems take on a new point of view “Under blue Annapolis skies.”

Blue Rhapsodies reveals the author’s innermost thoughts over many years. Now a professor at the academy but also a Navy daughter - with aging parents. Poignant lines evoking emotion about the dedicated caregivers for both her mother and father convey what many of us with aging parents have experienced. Arbuthnot writes of her beloved parents’ decline while giving tribute to the life they lived and the experiences they had.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

In compelling poetic vignettes, Nancy Arbuthnot presents the story of her life that spans a "Navy junior" childhood of constant moves and an often-absent father; a career teaching poetry and composition to midshipmen at the Naval Academy; and her recent years caring for her father, "the Captain," debilitated by a major stroke but still "master and commander."

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 116

Hammers of Voices Silent by Robert Wood

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MWSA Review

This is an interesting compendium of sixty-six poems that reveal the author's diverse vocabulary and ability to cleverly rhyme and alliterate.

While infused with a lot of free-form style that hints at some deep-seated anger and frustration with people and society, some wonderful gems of phrasing make a strong impact and a jarring mental image, like "slivers of broken glass rafting your veins," and "Conspiracies of imbecility," and "As all wars must inevitably be since reason always dies..."

The poem "Had I Again" is a particular standout hinting at opportunities taken (and in some instances, lost) as one flows down the river of life."

Review by Frank Biggio (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Athens lacked the swarms of gadflies needed to awaken its democracy to the evil of banishing the best, executing scapegoats at will, and denying both merit and reason to squander all that it had achieved and all that it might have achieved. Hammers of Voices Silent suggests the United States would require entire armies of gadflies to make a dent in what has become the silliest and most bizarrely corrupt nation ever to exist. The author considers his work only a token force but acknowledges the obligation.

He had meant to compose some devastatingly wondrous essays but noticed he had not the talent or time deciding rhyme would be quicker off the mark and waste fewer trees in the process. The poems document some eighty years of observation and research into the workings of the human mind which he finds consistently depressing but nevertheless interesting in the way large wrecks on the freeway draw one’s attention even with the best of intentions sought.

The author admits his work may not make the slightest difference in the cultural revolution of idiocy rampant but such phenomena run their course to die with or without gadflies since the utter chaos created must lead to overcompensation in the opposite direction. The patterns within history and individual human beings assure the next stage in the process and it is this stage the author most fears for all too often the new “correct” wastes its new found ascendency to trample all now fallen from grace. He hopes the next victor can lead with honor and reason even with a clear and present mandate of power. If one Epaminondas existed, then the author believes a few more such giants might in time appear though their task the greater with every year wasted in the sound and fury of wrathful indignation and endless hypocrisy. 

The book does hold out hope if only humans can summon the astounding reservoirs of courage, honor and sacrifice some display in moments of peril to maintain in dignity what their sacrifices gained for all rather than allowing such accomplishments to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The author believes the present cultural revolution and the following counter revolution are the greatest threats ever faced by the United States with the specter of politicians attending the unending funerals of REASON, LOGIC, ETHICS, HONOR and KINDNESS. 

Just as individual humans deny their mortality until their last breath, each nation denies even the possibility of demise until the weight of corruption, incompetence, insouciance, hubris and profligacy crush its foundations and another Ozymandias slips beneath the sand. The poems are intended to mirror the knowledge the author has gained from his life’s extensive library of mistakes with the hope such information may make some small difference for the better in a world needing a lot of difference for the better.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 133

Fragments: The Long Coming Home from Vietnam by Bruce Berger

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MWSA Review
This is an incredible read.

Though short in page/word count, Bruce Berger’s Fragments reads like an opus of the Vietnam War, outlining what he refers to in the audio version as “the long afterness” of the war. It has the emotional impact of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried or Karl Marlantes’s Matterhorn, and we’re fortunate to have Fragments join the canon of literature that emerged from the veterans of that long war.
This is not a typical “Roses are red, violets are blue…” book of poetry. Berger’s writing style is soulful and improvisational, which lends a sense of honesty and earnestness to his characters and scenes. The result is 34 individual stories/poems that will pull at a reader’s psyche and leave a lasting vision of what it was like to serve and survive in Vietnam.

Berger proves to be a patriot, poet, and philosopher. There isn’t much chest-thumping bravado in his poems. Instead, he delves into the fear, hope, confusion, desperation, and loneliness of this war. Berger also pays homage to the people of Vietnam, with several stories driving home the perspective of the Vietnamese people who were fighting and living through the war as well, whether it is the double-entendre story of “Girl Selling Her Fruit” or the soul crushing “Widows’ Village.” In this regard, Berger humanizes the Vietnamese people, similar to how Ken Burns did in his documentary The Vietnam War.

There are too many brilliant passages to describe, but here are a few that had a powerful, stinging impact for me:
“…the bloody mathematics of such action…”
“Why the hell were we where the hell we were?”
“…ceremonial ribbons, silver affirmations and golden glorifications…”
“…the detritus of my delirium…”
“His heart leaks into the grave”

Fragments is about Berger’s time in Vietnam, and this book will take readers “there”—both to the literal jungles and the psychological jungles in the depths of the minds of those who walked the ground in country. And even though this is a book about the Vietnam experience, Berger’s words will resonate with anybody who has served—whenever and wherever—particularly in Afghanistan, that has so many parallels to Vietnam.

An added bonus to this fantastic book are the works of art provided by the Providence Art Club in Rhode Island. The art complements many of the stories and makes this a wonderful work of history, poetry, philosophy, and art. I originally had this on a Kindle but ordered a print version and am grateful to have it in my library.

Review by Frank Biggio (May 2021)
 

Author's Synopsis
Bruce Berger, the author, finally came home 50 years after the Vietnam war when his memories crystallized into the 34 poems in this chapbook. He served in Vietnam in 1970 with the Casualty Branch of the 101st Airborne Division. As “next-of-kin” editor, he wrote hundreds of sympathy letters to grieving families back home, and sometimes helped gather fallen brothers on battle grounds to begin their long journeys home. He was immersed in the words, images, weight, and limitless reach of death. 

Through this lens, his poems evoke an overwhelming sense of loss on many fronts: the brave soldiers who gave their lives; a village of South Vietnamese widows; the thousands of bui doi, innocent but reviled half-breed (Amerasian) children; the empty afterness of battle grounds and burials; the long, deadly reach of Agent Orange and PTSD into veterans’ lives still today; and the thunderous silence of missing parades back home. Writing these poems brought him home. 

The book is divided into six sections: Taps, Dreaming of Home, Life on the Perimeter, Pictures and Prayers, PTSD, and Seasons. The 34 moving poems are enriched by 25 powerful illustrations created by 13 members of the Providence Art Club of Rhode Island.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9855048-1-6,978-0-9855048-2-3,978-0-9855048-3-0

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 92

Impaired by Michael Lepore

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MWSA Review
Impaired: The Continuing Crisis for Vietnam Veterans by Michael Lepore is a heartfelt and moving tribute to those who served during that war. Lepore’s latest installment of poetry books focusing on Vietnam includes an additional theme: the recognition of mortality that comes with old age.

Most combat veterans are forced to come to grips with their mortality as young men and women. After coming face to face with death repeatedly during that war, Vietnam veterans are now dealing with another, even more intractable foe: the Old Man’s Grim Reaper. As Lepore deftly points out in several of his poems, these vets are getting old and facing the end of their lives—often without much support, and frequently while also fighting the ghosts of that now long-past, and still unpopular conflict.

Review by John Cathcart (May 2021)
 

Author's Synopsis
Poems in this collection provide glimpses into the hearts and minds of Vietnam War combat veterans, men who were once vital and strong facing the reality of age and approaching death. Some of the veterans in these poems are at war with themselves, some return to the country where their youth was lost and some fear for the future. As in real life, there are seldom happy endings to these stories. They are not anti-war poems or pro-war poems; they just tell it the way it was and the way it is.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-943826-77-3

Book Format(s): Soft cover

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 50

Where the High Winds Sing by Donald Purdy

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MWSA Review
This book offers a stirring glimpse into the soul of a warrior. Don Purdy’s poetry poignantly expresses the sentiments of a fighter, a survivor, and a veteran mourning the loss of his brothers-in-arms. The author, a naval aviator during the Vietnam War, vividly brings to life the experience of aerial combat as well as themes universal to the experience of war. The poems are written and arranged with great creativity and skill, and include not only depictions of battle and action, but also reflections on courage, loss, and the larger legacy of military conflict. Purdy’s writing is beautifully complemented by artwork, photos, and annotations. Where the High Winds Sing is not merely a book, but a masterful work of art.

Review by Zita Ballinger Fletcher (March 2021)

 

Author's Synopsis
Where the High Winds Sing weaves a vivid tapestry of flight from the experiences of a Naval Aviator who lived through the bloody brawl that was the air war over North Vietnam. Its compelling verse soars beyond the limits of prose to draw the reader into a visceral appreciation of the sights, sounds, and passions of aerial combat. The poetry ranges from the pure celebration of flight to the always demanding, sometimes humorous, often tragic drama of wartime carrier operations. But it also presents evocative images of transformative interludes at sea and reflections on the effects of combat, especially the loss of close friends. Don Purdy's accessible poetry is reminiscent of an earlier era when such poets as Wilfred Owen, John Gillespie Magee Jr., and Rudyard Kipling elevated "war poetry" to a unique literary genre. Many of the poems are illustrated with the author's own artwork.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13 : 979-8678032935, ASIN : B08HSTRLXQ

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 76

Moments Around The Campfire With A Vietnam Vet by Thom Brucie

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MWSA Review
Moments around the Campfire with a Vietnam Veteran is appealing to Vietnam veterans and others who want to understand more about what the Vietnam War experience was like for some U.S. veterans. The premise is that a mysterious, aging, rather ghostly Vietnam veteran appears at a young couple's campfire in the woods and gives them a folder of poems he's written in the years since his return from Vietnam. He drops off the poems and disappears into the darkness, never to be seen again. The book is purported to be those poems.

The style is freeform, each poem is independent of the others, and all are sad or disturbing in their nature. The book has its “moments,” like the very last—a poem called "MIA." In this poem, the author describes a middle-aged Vietnam veteran, who is simultaneously a young man full of hope and optimism, as he was before going to war, and his current older self, scarred by war and life. His two personas struggle to coexist within the same person. However, most of the poems, rather than being creative, are observational or reactive and have dark subjects with no lessons learned or conclusions drawn. The ghostly poet's attitude throughout is simply that of disinterested observer. It is possible that the author wanted to expose the emptiness within some veterans of the Vietnam War (and by extension, all wars), a message that in order to survive emotionally, some veterans became as uncaring as the ghostly poet. 

Review by Jamie Thompson (April 2021) 

Author's Synopsis
Brucie's poems reveal a story-vision of sadness, loss, discovery, and renewal divulged through the voice of a ghost veteran of the Vietnam War. Poet Lana Wiggins wrote, "These poems took my breath away." Poet Maria Mazziotti Gillan, American Book Award winner, declared, "This is one of the best books of war poems I've ever read. I promise, you won't be able to put it down."

ISBN/ASIN: 9780988709430

Book Format(s): Soft cover

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 56

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea by Kerry Pardue

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MWSA Review

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea is a combination of verse and prose. The verse is extraordinary—heartbreaking in places, thoughtful in others. In its entirety, the book explores the impact of war that follows young soldiers home after the fighting is over, whether they are dead or alive when they make that journey. For example, the first poem, “A Brand New Day,” is determined and hopeful, ending with these lines:

“Today is a guide to build upon future days
I choose to respect life
I choose to be more loving and kind
I choose to be loving in word and deed
I choose to begin with changing me
I choose to be thankful for events in my life even PTSD
I choose by loving me.”

Certain lines make the reader smile, like in a poem called “Chris Jackson,” where the poet ponders what a friend might be doing now: “As I think of you in Heaven I know you will make the Angels blush and/St. Peter will shake his head when he hears them complain and/ All he can say is that Chris Jackson acting up again?”

There are stories about old vets and young, some who made it home and some who didn’t. Coming from a medic who tried to rescue them all, each battlefield loss is painful and the reader can feel the author’s ongoing personal connection with the many ghosts of war.

One poem is especially vivid. “In the Shadow of The Blade” is about a Huey Helicopter, #091. It begins: “We were soldiers brave and true/ Who rode upon you in our youth.” It ends with: “After fifty years it is time for both of us to rest/ We both know we did our best our story is finally complete/ For we are HOME at last.”

Other poems—like “Why Do the Good Ones Die So Young” or “Your Life Made a Difference to Me” or “Wrong Place at the Wrong Time”—make the reader put down the book for a moment and think about the ghosts who haunt this author. Perhaps the most poignant of all, “We Lost Another Corpsman/Medic Today,” will haunt his readers.

 Review by Joyce Faulkner (June 2020)

 

Author's Synopsis

After leaving the Army, he tried to put Vietnam behind and lead a normal life. Though he’d go on to be outwardly successful, on the inside he battled demons of anger, guilt, traumatic memories, and inability to trust, leading eventually to getting fired and other destroyed relationships. Almost forty years later, after a breakdown and PTSD diagnosis, Kerry began to examine his torment through writing. This book is the gripping story of his experience in Vietnam and how it shaped his life for decades to come.

Being a Medic in the Infantry isn't for the faint of heart. Gunfights and medivacs are daily activities. Every decision means life or death in the heat of combat. Follow along as Doc Pardue recalls his combat tour with the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam

His journey is one of hope that help did come from many sources, the VA, his writing, going to group with other medics and corpsmen, and actively serve medic and corpsmen in leadership roles in their organizations.  He found that his service was honorable, that he did much to relieve the pain and suffering of those that he served with that were wounded. He saved lives and he held the hands of those that did not make it helping them to cross over death’s portal.

ISBN/ASIN: ASIN: B08787WG6V,  ISBN-13: 978-1477414989,  ISBN-10: 1477414983
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 278

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler & Linda D. Stoeffler - Cover Illustrator

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MWSA Review

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler is filled with dozens of poems that reflect on his family, life, and experiences. Some made me laugh, some brought a tear to my eye, but all were worth reading. The poems told stories, taught lessons, and asked questions. Easy to read, I felt like I was almost in the room with the author, and he was reading me the poems. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who likes to read family-centered patriotic poetry.

Review by Bob Doerr (January 2020)

MWSA's evaluation found a number of technical problems (misspellings, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization) as well as other problems in one or more of the following evaluation areas: content, style, and/or visual. This normally indicates a need for further editing.

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Author's Synopsis

The cover of God, Family, Freedom is from a picture painted by my artist wife. It is inspirational, and I believe reflects the title of the book. One reader described my poetry as "Kind, heartfelt, and, at times heartbreaking." Accompanying each poem is a picture that ties in with and adds to the story each poem relates.

Some poems will make the reader laugh or smile while others may bring a tear to the reader's eye as they are so moved by the story. One example of this is the poem "The Old Veteran." "I AM AMERICA" a patriotic look at the sacrifice many who served from Bunker Hill through today. It is the opening poem in the book and one in which I am most proud. "A bad day at Bong Son" is the true story of the heroic efforts of then 19 year old Bobby Pridmore who risked his life in an attempt to save the life of a downed helicopter pilot. Any parent who has watched their daughter getting married will relate to the feelings expressed in the poem "You'll always be my little girl." Another poem, "Instinct, friendship or love" is the true story of two dogs that will touch one's heart. Virtually every poem will have meaning as they relate to many of life's experiences.

To paraphrase the words of an ad I can recall, get the book and "Read it, you'll like it!"

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1987-03976-4 Book
Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 171