Spanning the spectrum of love and loss, Wallace's poetry compilation is infused with a sense of serenity, hope, and living for the present. While most of the poems don't feature a consistent rhyme scheme, the combination of genuine feeling and literary devices such as imagery, simile, and alliteration makes for an evocative experience.
From the onset in "Collision Course," the poet's juxtaposition of sunshine and rain yields feelings of rainbows and hope. More than anything else, as the compilation progresses the poet seemingly weaves in the theme of life, love, and self-discovery being as precious as "an ancient pearl in the ocean." Along with figurative language, it is the simple things that add depth to the verses. For instance, Wallace's ability to paint the canvas of the reader's mind is accentuated in "Brave" by her use of active verbs. Whether it is the fingertip "gliding," "tracing thoughts," or "quivering knees," the sensuous nature of the moment is captured with grace and precision.
Similarly, the imagery of orchids blooming from the speaker's tears is hauntingly beautiful. Each new section is accompanied by an image. In "Togetherness," the rays of the sun poking through the crevices of a densely wooded forest are both angelic and mesmerizing, a definite tone-setter for poems like "Near the Shore," which is more emblematic of oneness with the waves and nature itself. While this part is predicated upon coming together in faith, the haikus are comforting and capture the world in full bloom, teeming with life.
Though the last section takes on a somber tone, a philosophical element attempts to decipher and understand life's greatest cosmic mystery: death. Overall, Wallace's poetry is an invitation for audiences to feel life in every moment, to live fully and with hope regardless of the circumstances.