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Debut poet Gorringe was a hearty young child with a zest for life when, at age five in 1981, he met with a tragic accident in one of his daring adventures, having insisted he could toboggan alone down a steep, icy incline. That he survived seems nothing less than a miracle; that he was able to revitalize his brain to create poetry is equally remarkable. The many free verse poems offered here pay tribute to that sense of the miraculous and to his strong belief in God and Jesus. Most of all, the poems celebrate possibilities for happiness: “A smile may put a person who is feeling sad in a better mood so she may handle situations better;" “The love secret is having joy in your heart, mind and soul;" “Hold on to dear life, and you will be happy for eternity.”
In more than a hundred verses, Gorringe expresses mainly positive, spiritually grounded sentiments. Despite his physical limitations, he contentedly celebrates life’s activities as enjoyed by others. He warns those engaged in sinful actions—“people who drink and smoke”—to stop before it’s too late. Much of the courage expressed in his simple outpourings surely stems from his connection to his church and his active dedication to its mission outreach. The opening and closing prose passages of the book, written by unattributed others, give background to the horror of Gorringe’s disabling accident, while his poems, often relying on scriptural phrasing, give testimony to his indomitable spirit. One poignant work, “When I Woke,” suggests that when Gorringe as a child came out of his lengthy coma, “I made peace with my Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.” This small but emotive volume could give hope and inspiration to many readers for many good reasons.