Richard Betts, in his graceful and deeply movingsecond collection, continues his thoughtful and philosophical approach topoetry. This book represents aneloquent outpouring of 56 new poems that are much more personal andintrospective than his previous writings. It is a testament that invites readers to share his vision ofexperiences we all have in common: strength and weakness, joy and sorrow, desire and disdain, faith andskepticism, tenderness and tenacity and life and our own mortality.
Much like his first book, Betts's poems areconstantly on the attack, and his subjects are as various as hisviewpoints. "Vision" focuses on theheartbreak of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), "Omnipotence" and "Crumble"investigate the question of suffering versus faith, "Correct?" looks at thedangers of political correctness and "Disbelief" focuses on the numerousquestions one asks following the tragic death of a loved one. Betts avoids slowing his poems down withindecipherable symbolism, opting instead for works that, with his carefullychosen words, are fast paced and powerful.