Fittingly titled, Romero's compilation encompasses a lifetime of emotions and experiences that span the spectrum of heartwarming to deeply reflective and philosophical. The work is a guide on how to live life (and truly live it), escaping from a never-ending rat race for the next material accolade. Exploring universal themes like love, birth, disappointment, and aging from the context of fleeting time, the poet leaves audiences mystified by the simplicity yet power of her poetry.
Though there is no consistent rhyme scheme, Romero's use of literary devices like repetition, parallelism, metaphor, and personification helps illuminate the feelings she is trying to evoke. The strength of love is on full display in poems like "You and I" and "Why You and Me?" But as the poems progress, the affection tends to fade, replaced by a more hardened outlook toward the insanity of life. Offerings like "How to Impact the World" examine the superficial definition of success that is plastered on the world's canvas while juxtaposing those sentiments with pure exuberance upon having a grandchild. From the crooked ponytails and the snowcones to the green eyes, Romero does a commendable job of using imagery to show the depth of her love and joy of being a grandmother.
Using night as a metaphor for death in "The Last Thing I Did," the poet once again emphasizes that nothing takes precedence over living a full, wholesome life while riding the waves of joy and grief—and everything in between—with energy and passion. More than the style of the poetry, the topics Romero tackles hold universal appeal. Her ability to bring attention to age-old notions in an engaging and thoughtful way is what makes this experience worthwhile.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review