Canadian Poetry; Wet Ink Books; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.WetInkBooks.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef
 

 

Don Gutteridge

 

 
Canadian Poetry; Hidden Brook Press; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.hiddenbrookpress.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef
 

 

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Once again, Don Gutteridge has curated an intimate and finely tuned collection of his work in this latest release, Kingdom Come and Other Poems. Presenting quick and revealing portraits of people from his past, Gutteridge doesn’t need whole chapters to bring memories to life, just a handful of carefully worded lines. Childhood heroics and hard lessons learned leap off the page, helped along by a remarkably agile pen: “and O / how I yearned, like my pals / Wiz and Butch, to be blessed / with some sobering sobriquet….” The second section shifts focus to his more personal experiences, his early stumbles with women, the peaceful embrace of nature, and the inherent contradictions of godliness and youth. Gutteridge’s power of recall imbues the poetry with the wisdom of age and the free-wheeling hope of childhood.

The poet continues to improve in every subsequent release, sharpening his melodic storytelling within his free verse style. Rarely does one stumble over a clever line or summoned image, allowing this work to be read at a good clip, and enjoyed like prose. The plainness of the formatting, section divisions, and the easily fixable page break interruptions sometimes give the book a sterile feel, but the stark simplicity also provides clarity and focus for readers.

Another stellar chapter of Gutteridge’s ever-growing poetic memoir, this is a short and tender gathering of work, and perhaps his best collection yet.

Thanks!

Editor, SPR

 

A reflection on love, life, childhood memories, nostalgia that is at once intimate and timely…

Shaped by mist and nostalgia, Kingdom Come and Other Poems is a timely and engrossing collection from Gutteridge that addresses questions of love, life, friendship, familial ties, and mortality while delving into memories of the past. From telling the story of the boys putting on a home-grown circus in “Warp,” to his immediate bonding with a new boy in grade four in “Jack,” to contemplating the time spent with old love in “Blissful Wishing” and “Debonaire,” to narrating the hilarious incident with the local Reverend in the sarcastic title poem, “Kingdom Come,” to mulling over the set ways of his small Canadian town, and to describing how his love for poetry helps keep him going. Gutteridge writes with profound self-awareness and melancholic sorrow, spinning experience into meditations on the meaning of life, happiness, and friendship. Readers aching for poetry of nostalgic old days will embrace this deeply touching book.

The Prairies Book Reviews                 

 
Canadian Poetry; Wet Ink Books; Canada; Canadian Literature; publishing; www.WetInkBooks.com; Devour; Devour: Art & Lit Canada; Find all of our mags; “Devour” and “The Ambassador” –www.issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/bc11ecdd1e7646c4b1fac2bb7aef11ef