BOOK SUGGESTION: Uncommon Poems for the Common People by Charly Priest

Hello Readers,

I wanted to share a post about Charly Priest’s poetry book now available here on Amazon!

This poetry book would make a GREAT Christmas gift for a guy – because even though Charly’s poems will appeal to BOTH men and women, Charly offers a man’s take on topics relating to war, love, and self-development.  Charly also writes with a simple, no-nonsense approach. His poems flow with such ease and that makes the reading light and absorbable in a way that lets you smile with him – or frown with him – or even contrast a differing view while staying engaged. But it is easy to see where Charly is coming from and that makes a light-read while they are also full of life. 

I know a young man who read all five chapters and came back moved in a good way! Two thumbs up. He said he normally did NOT LIKE poems – but he enjoyed Charly’s words. He especially liked the ones about being a soldier and others about processing through life’s ups and downs with soul searching.

Here are snippets from two that my boys liked:

 

Snippet from Paradise Lost:

“Riding shotgun through memory lane
, I have found the password – for a future with much less rain” (the rest is on page 7)

Snippet from Warfare:

“Young men… full of pride, cockiness –  is one word they cannot hide. They train incisively for battle —  wanting blood inside  — that cage they’ll rattle.
  Then, reality hits them… (the rest is on page 31 in his book).

 

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And here is a full poem that we liked: 

JUDGING IS GREAT

I hear, I read, people talking and writing

sometimes I just do the over sighing

other times, I do the memorizing,

unique people from all parts of the world

all walks of life

with their own customs and traditions.

“Not to judge?

By not judging is implying it is wrong to judge

so I just give it a nudge.

the terminology of it is mixed,

but I think it can be fixed.

Judge-mentalism is part of our fabric of humanism

if you don´t judge- you have no voice to speak,

of what you think is right or wrong.

Judge with respect,

that is the aspect.

But judge!

It creates dialogue, instead of one-sided monologue

And that one-sided monologue

is the true enemy, without debate

there is no going forward

and we can create a bunch

of one many silences of a coward.” (page 26)

Anna Waldherr reviewed Charly’s book (here) and she said this:

• Charly Priest, for those who do not know him, is a funny and irreverent blogger with a zest for life.  A Spanish veteran, a man of faith and courage, and a devoted son, Charly writes free verse on topics ranging from war to romance. 
• Charly calls things as he sees them, deftly using irony to highlight the ridiculous.  This approach and occasional coarse language may offend some readers. 
• But Charly Priest’s purpose is not to offend.  It is to open minds to new ideas and different viewpoints. While Charly enjoys playing with words and ideas, his most outstanding quality may be his honesty. 
• Charly fearlessly confronts difficult subjects, employing dark humor to deflate enlarged egos, pillory hypocrites, and undermine political correctness.

GP’s Review (here) had this:

• Priest is an unusual sort, and his poetry bears witness to this statement, but he’s humorous, serious and down-right confusing at times.  There is no clearer explanation of him than that which is written at the end of the book by himself (need to get the book to read it…)
• There are some poems that make you think, such as his poem, “The Priest.” But I think he hunkers down and shows more of his true self in Chapter 4, and I was impressed.  Such as “Land of the Killers” you can hear his own experiences in the Spanish Legion during deployment.  “In Warfare”, that with all said and done, boils down to the last line, “where it’s a day-to-day reality of the insane.”
• “Invisible People”, we’ve either known one of these or were one ourselves;  “Seven Sins”, he expresses the human condition as he sees it and “After the End” with great advice to all.
• To find his book, Click Here! To locate his blog, Click Here!!

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Let’s close with one more poem from Charly.

In this poem, titled Johnny Walker, Charly talks about the dangers of alcohol – (and alcohol drinking has been something Charly has had to wrestle with – as so many other folks I know have…)

JOHNNY WALKER

Johnny Walker is his name

and then Walker

goes and does his game

mostly

it always ends up the same

Seeping at you

         Walker

slowly

drowning people

in mastery of the misery

Nothing done

neurons gone

beating the ground

or

breaking my ankle

into the foreground

Johnny Walker

is the real stalker

 I really love the way he gets to the jugular with this poem. “Mastery of the misery” – and how he notes that alcohol (in this case, Johnny Walker) can take you down! – It “kills neurons” and  you get “nothing done” – and it ends up “drowning people” – so true!

And hey – maybe this holiday season you can cut out the alcohol. Just because… think you can do it? Some of you already are doing it – and some of you say, “No Way” – but maybe someone out there will have a “DRY HOLIDAY”  – and your life will be better because of it. 

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Thanks for reading!

One of my favorite things about Charly the poet – the writer – the blogger – is that he is SO original.

He plays with words and keeps working his craft. 

Let’s all think of Charly if our muse is missing. Or if we feel like we hit a wall with creativity! 

I think of Charly’s dancing words and it makes me smile.

He approaches his poetry with ease and that brings ME a sense of ease. 

If you need a bit of encouragement to stay with YOUR voice- think of Charly! Let’s do what Charly does  – and “Just Keep Going” 

Keep the momentum flowing  – with your music, photography, blogging, traveling, or writing –

and let “your light” shine bright through all you do.

In whatever you do for your art… We need “you to be you” because nobody else can bring what “only you can bring” – 

Got it?

Good. 

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11/25/2019

Update with Another Book Review 

Kelvin Knight (here) reviewed Charly Priest‘s book (Kelvin’s review is here) 

I had to add some of his review to this post because he helped me see more from Charly’s work. My enjoyment of Kelvin’s succinct review reminded me how WE NEED EACH OTHER and how there can be depth of understanding when many minds chime in.  So thanks K to the 2. 

Here are three takeaways from Kelvin’s review:

• “First up, the cover is simple yet interesting and the book title drew me straight in, followed by these words from the Preface in rhyming poetry formation propelling me onwards: ‘Suitable for those people who are not poetry experts, but also for the so-called experts, this is not a piece of Shakespearian literature – –  this is raw, informal -yet also normal – for the common people- that don’t read Shakespeare’ – Even though I have read Shakespeare (and can recite the odd soliloquy or two from Macbeth for my sins) I was undeterred because I like words and ideas that are different. And Charly’s collection of chaptered poems is certainly different. There is such a diverse feel to the poems here with the repeating themes of war, relationships, and self-development at the core.”
• “I read poems of shuddering, juddering purpose finding and trial by error transformation with moments of sublime realisation. These moments I wanted to cling to, for example whilst re-reading and savouring Recalibrate and Judging Is Great.”
• There is a rawness in Charly’s poetry that is refreshing – even though sometimes the poetry could be a tad too raw, and the imagery and emotion Charly’s trying to stir escaped me. And yet, upon reflection, in this rawness there is healing.

 

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