New and Selected Poems

Cherie Burbach
Bonjour Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9780983475002
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (4/11)

 

In “New and Selected Poems” Cherie Burbach has compiled a combination of her new poems as well as the most popular selections from her earlier works - “The Difference Now,” “A New Dish,” and “Father’s Eyes.”

Burbach writes with a passion that inspires the poet within me. Her poems transcend natural boundaries. Whether from intuition, personal experiences, or observations of life, her poems resonate with insight. Among other feelings, her works explore the feelings that arise from the resentment of co-dependency and the reward of sacrifice. The poems take us to the place where feelings overlap, frequently melancholy, sometimes funny, often profound, and always on target. She writes on the themes of life, love, and faith.

Loneliness, the desolate feelings of defeat, the excitement of romance, the joy of creativity, the exhilaration of self esteem, feelings of empowerment and the exercise of faith are themes of her works that offer encouragement, inspiration, and hope to the reader. Her poems deliver their message through the five senses: active listening, audible responses, the scent of coffee, the flavor of taste, colorful imagery, and a wide range of touch.

I have a great admiration for the poet who understands the technical terms like alliteration, alexandrine, quatrain, persona and others. I also appreciate the poets who make application of various poetic forms and styles such as sonnet, free verse, etc. I like to consider myself as a budding novice poet. When reading poetry I have begun to recognize the important use of imagery, diction, and sound. Burbach has used a variety of form and style effectively weaving threads of reality into smooth, well-ordered, diverse thought patterns.

The works I personally identified with include: Angel in Waiting, If I Were a Book, Spring, and Friendship. Burbach’s poems are addressed to people who have shared experiences. She includes poems which instill a deeper sense of spiritual intuition and stir the reader to finding a time and place for reflective solitude.

I have gained a new appreciation for poetry and the poet as I read Cherie Burbach’s “New and Selected Poems.” I was deeply moved, and found empowerment and encouragement as I reflected on the depth of feeling and emotion conveyed through the awe-inspiring word pictures and the imagery they communicate.

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