3 Poets 5 Stars

“We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.” Charles Bukowski   

I recently ordered books off Amazon from three poets I greatly admire. Each have their own unique view of the world that surrounds them. At the same time, I felt these poets were a good fit for this review. A review I hope will shed a little light on their work and provide a glimpse into three of today’s modern poets.

I’ve always been fascinated with the counter cultures that thrive in the world of writing, art, and music. It seems each movement over the years has had common threads within them. Things like friendships, introductions to other artists, and the support of each other’s work to name a few.

Over the years these artistic movements have had their scenes and places provide platforms from which to grow. Now the modern poet’s platform is the internet. Poets can send their work out to the world and instantly get feedback. But, this also means the web can become flooded with work from thousands of writers daily. So it helps tremendously to have spotlights cast in the direction of good poets who might slip past readers in the river of writers flowing by today.        

Mallory Smart’s “Fear Like A Habit” was the first of these three books to arrive in my mailbox. It is a wonderfully written book of poems. You can feel the fire and energy in Mallory’s words as you read each line of her work. Her love for the craft seems to radiate from each page of this book. She is a breath of fresh air in today’s world of writing. A voice that will be heard for many years to come. Mallory Smart, a poet of the people, born from their echo. Read her today. 

Kateri Lanthier’s “Reporting From Night” was the next book to arrive. The best way I can describe Kateri’s work is simply beautiful. The love for her family, for life, and Toronto shines so bright in this book. As I read, I was taken back to similar situation and fond memories of raising my son.

As I flipped each page, a poem I once wrote called “Daniel Jones, Toronto’s Son” along with Jones’s work kept popping into my mind. He was another poet from that city whose work was remarkable. After reading “Reporting From Night” I realized Toronto also has a daughter named Kateri Lanthier. She, along with her sisters of poetry, make that city alive and breathing with words. Toronto, the city of poets. “Reporting From Night” is a must read for lovers of life and poetry. 

Robin Richardson’s “Knife Throwing Through Self-hypnosis” was the final book to arrive. This book is explosive in thought. Her mind is truly one of an artist. Each line I read was so creative and perfectly placed within the poem. Robin’s words displayed the same meticulous thought in their arrangement as a chess player would use carefully moving knights and bishops. I was not surprised having read some of her work online and seeing her YouTube clips. She is someone I will read for many years to come. A true artist, fearless with her words of poetry. Check out her work today.