war{n}pieces

by Leo Jenkins

war{n}pieces is the sixth book and second collection of poetry from acclaimed author Leo Jenkins. Fifteen years have passed since Leo was a U.S. Army Ranger medic in Iraq and Afghanistan - fifteen years of reflection, of death and triumph, of struggle and overcoming. war{n}pieces is a poetic journey from war through love to redemption.

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2020

Reviews

[Daniel Penrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

War {n} Pieces give readers a further look into the effect of war on the human soul, though this is not the only theme. Because unlike most combat veteran writers, Jenkins does not play himself into the rut of being only a writer of war. The other themes include political divides among a supposedly united people, the intersections of love and pain, religion, racism, consumerism, and the rushed and unnatural living in the modern world. When he does write about war, it is not the glorification of the subject. Rather, he tends to put war into a room of mirrors to examine it from every angle, showing the unseen costs of what many of us have endured. For many of us, the Global War on Terror played out either like a R-rated version of “The Office,” or even a Michael Bay movie. Reading Jenkins is like getting kicked in the nuts by an Oliver Stone film, which would often show unwelcome truths.
While rhyming poetry is not the cool thing to do these days, Jenkins throws out what is popular to create something amazing. His rhymes are not forced, like you would read from a teenager experimenting with poetry. His are effortless, and flow easily with the meaning of the poems. He plays with both rhyme and rhythm with the ease of a master creating his own rules while simultaneously mastering them. The poetry does not serve the rhyme and meter, but the other way around, playing with the conventions and rules of the genre. They add to the meaning rather than distract from it.
As with any book of poetry, there were a couple of poems I didn't understand, at least right away. The difference between Jenkins and so many other poets is that he doesn't seem to write cryptic verses just to make himself seem like a deeper thinker. I never got the feeling that the writer was saying, “There’s a meaning, but you just wouldn’t get it,” and there are no unnecessarily enigmatic words only to stump the reader. Based on previous experiences with his writing, I knew that he always has a direction with his writing. A verse is worth reading again and again until you understand it, because you will, and it will be worth it.
War {n} Pieces shows a deeper excellence in the craft from one of the men who pioneered the reemergence of poetry for the GWOT veteran. Dare I say, RLTW?