More than a year ago, a poet named Christopher Manieri sent me a message on social media. Would I write about his book of poetry? Okay, I answered, send me a copy. He did. It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally read it.
Ascent is self-published, or published through Amazon. I admire the courage that takes. I wouldn’t go that route, because I want to work with an editor, to make sure that what I’ve written is worth sharing with others. Believing that your work has value no matter what anyone else says takes guts.
Belief is the central focus here. The author obviously has a strong religious faith. Most of the poems move from some form of doubt or pain or confusion towards a resolution located in faith—in our essential unity within God or something else bigger than ourselves. Not all the poems fit that pattern, though, and they’re the ones that interest me the most. My favourite is “The Emissary,” which relates a fable about an old man tasked with carrying a message to a distant city. The journey is long and difficult, and when finally arrives, the city has been destroyed. He stands “alone in the empty silence, alone in his dread.” I like the repetition of “alone” in this line, and the lack of certainty and resolution in the poem. Maybe that’s just personal taste. Others might take solace in the answers most of the poems provide. Me, I’m more interested in questions.
But the more poetry there is, the better, I say. Do I’m happy that this book exists.