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Thou takes man by the hand
Leads him through dangerous tolls
And carries him through this land"
Smith has created a unique poetry collection which spans the gamut of human thought and emotion. The poet is also a pastor, and so many of his poems feature beautiful messages about religion and connecting with God. These range from trusting in God to reckoning with God and facing the afterlife. The poems also capture life outside the church with messages of love, humor, and life, even when it is not always lived perfectly. Some current events are addressed in poems about war, government, and the world at large. There are poems for everyone to relate to within and outside of religion.
Some poems, such as “My Will,” in which things are left to “my cat named Sue,” are laugh-out-loud funny, while others take a much more serious tone, such as “A Brighter Day,” which encourages the reader to place their faith in Jesus and assures them that brighter days will come. There is a little bit of something for everyone in this book. Some of the poems also reach out to people who have not always lived a pious life and describe the difficulties of being unable to pay the mortgage, drug addiction, and death.
Humor, gravitas, and sadness appear throughout the book as they feature in different poems. In all, the poems capture life as it is and not always as people would wish it to be. Whether a reader is seeking inspirational poetry or poetry about life, this book appeals to both. Readers should be prepared to think, laugh, and cry as they experience the world through Smith’s poetry in this comprehensive and engaging collection.