"The poetry has fled.
Faded, paled to grey.
Yet I seek
That searing red
The violence of purple...
"
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Seeing Things by Mary Catherine O'Brien Trafford Publishing
book review by Caroline Blaha-Black
Catherine O'Brien’s visceral and colorful poetry collection touches on a myriad of subjects, situations, and emotions that humans are often confronted with. Her poetry makes the reader think as the poet paints a picture of a wide variety of things, from a snapshot of an old Kashmiri houseboat to a short afterthought on how it would feel to fly.
O'Brien uses free verse, which challenges the mind and the senses to think further about what the author is trying to convey. Poems of note include "The Message," about the author's dead father who visited her at night, "Birth of a Painting," about the artist's creative process as she tries to capture the colors upon her canvas, and also "Exam Time," a snapshot from the classroom, when students are taking their exams.
The author's varied subject matter may seem random to the reader, however, the poetry collection comes together as a cohesive whole. The font is readable and is easy on the eyes, and O’Brien's book is sprinkled with her simple, black and white illustrations, mostly of flowers and doodles that compliment the text well. The images also correspond with the thoughtful subject matter presented. This is a good poetry collection that will not disappoint any lover of literature, poetry lovers in general, and people who are inspired by random thoughts on life.