The Road-Shaped Heart

Nick Purdon
Modern History Press (2011)
ISBN 9781615990573
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (4/11)

 

“The Road-Shaped Heart” by Nick Purdon is a collection of twenty-five poems written from the heart.  Covering topics such as addiction, loss, love, and grief, Mr. Purdon has a strong grasp on the English language and pens words in such a way that they tug at the reader’s heart, and this statement is coming from a reader who does not typically read much poetry.  While not understanding every nuance in every poem, I certainly felt the emotion Mr. Purdon’s words sought to provoke. 

One particular poem that touched me was “Saying Good-Bye.”  Purdon wrote, “…Are you now walking on the doused coals as I do?...Are you  picking through the charred remains as I do?...Our moon had long been waning, yet…Still, I breathe in…Your every breathing out.”  In “Withdrawal” he wrote, “As the dark clouds roll in, heaving, they bring…decaying ravens plummeting from a sky of cracked bones…”  The imagery is so vivid the reader cannot help but recall his own emotions to the surface.

“The Road-Shaped Heart” is a quick read that can be read over and over.  Though not particularly a “happy” read, the emotions so beautifully depicted highlight the depth of real emotions felt by many.

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