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Over The Waterfalls
by Ken Krizan
Minimalist yet mind-bending, the poems in this collection transport individuals to deep spaces of meditation and contemplation. It opens with poems that encourage people to embrace the moment in which they are living. Some poems then advocate for spontaneity and living in the moment. Others celebrate the quiet wonder nature and its inhabitants offer those who care to stop and admire it. Filled with awe and keen observation, these poems glitter like "refracted colors from a prism" and enchant the book's audience.
The collection harbors many poems that possess a deeply reflective tone. The speaker has a distinctive sense of self-awareness that informs how they view the world and what they view in it. In one poem, "Strength in Adversity," the speaker confesses that "this is not my favorite life," yet the speaker is determined to live it. The poem embodies the power of positive thinking during difficult times. It stands as a reminder about how choice and free will have consequences and how an individual learns from experience and education. This particular poem also encourages people to hold onto what they have and to not think about what they don't have as they progress toward a better tomorrow.
Other poems echo a similar sentiment. For example, the poem "Resurrect Self" opens with the command "That morning wake up and accept life." This simple command holds a great deal of power. The world transitions from "black and white to color." This simple transformation speaks to the beauty of waking and of being alive. It is also an inspiring take on remembering to appreciate simple moments. Later in the poem, the speaker tells the poem's audience to "Live each day to the fullest," a simple mantra people can carry with them each and every day.
As the collection continues, numerous poems address an individual's search for meaning and for purpose in life. One poem suggests that the "Nature of reality is to have consciousness." Another poem suggests, "Ponder philosophic works of the ancients / Feel the metaphysical ideas with patience." These later poems suggest that achieving a higher consciousness helps an individual achieve a fuller understanding of oneself and an inner peace that cannot be discovered elsewhere. In a later poem, the speaker makes this concept more concrete by suggesting, "truth dwells in each mind differently." This direct, yet unique, take on individuality and individual thinking prompts the audience to think about how they approach and achieve a higher consciousness.
Despite their philosophical nature, the poems are written in an accessible manner. Therefore, those who are new to poetry can easily read the book without feeling intimidated. The line and stanza structures facilitate the calm, contemplative tone and voice throughout the collection. These poems flow into one another, like water flowing toward a waterfall and then onward down a river or stream. Most of all, each poem offers those who read this book a quiet place to pause and to reflect on their lives, themselves, and how they choose to approach living.