Author
J.D. Estrada’s poetry book, Roulette of
Rhymes, is a delight. His fiction (Only
Human, Shadow
of a Human) weaves dreamlike prose with grindhouse grit. It
shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that his poetry has more of the same, but is
accentuated by the freedom of verse.
There
are gentle musings within, such as with “The Elephant,” bringing to life an
idiom that instead of awkwardly enduring a room, decides to forge its own path
heavenward. “Brewed to perfection” is an ode to coffee just about every one of
us can not only enjoy, but relate to as we partake in the daily grind. Meanwhile
the simplicity of a “Fortune cookie” is met with a striking poignancy when it
comes to what’s within.
But
perhaps the standouts for me are “The Fool’s Journey” and “The Madness of
Jonathan J. George.” The former is the Fool’s shuffle through the tarot deck as
he passes each card in the Major Arcana. It’s fantastically fun, and as someone
who reads tarot, I enjoyed the nod to the artistry of the cards. The latter is
an 800-line epic. It’s a real, raw, and honest look at life itself. Or rather,
of living our lives. The poem may be about Jonathan J. George, but it’s truly a
tale anyone of us can slip inside and be the hero of.
Turning
the pages of Roulette of Rhymes is like
taking a spin at the table, never knowing if you’ll land on whimsy or the
darkness of reality.
Perhaps
even both at once if you’re lucky.
Purchase Roulette
of Rhymes on Amazon.
Had to comment here as well. Touched that you enjoyed the collection and not only that, that you got it. That means more than I can say and I know some poems might be lost on some people, but to see someone get it AND enjoy it. That's pretty spectacular :) Cheers and thank you for all the support :)
ReplyDeleteMost welcome! Happy to support a talented, hard-working writer!
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