Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships

by Kaye Lynne Booth, Robbie Cheadle, Colleen M Chesebro

A collection of poetry from the poet/author guests of Robbie Cheadle on the "Treasuring Poetry" blog series on Writing to be Read in 2021. Relationships are golden and each of Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry, D Avery, Robbie Cheadle, Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott, Julespaige, Leon Stevens, Colleen M. Chesebro, Miriam Hurdle, Marjorie Mallon, and Lynda McKinney Lambert pay poetic tribute to their most intense personal moments.

114 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2022

About the author

Kaye Lynne Booth lives, works and plays in the mountains of Colorado. With a dual emphasis M.F.A. in Creative Writing, writing is more than a passion. It's a way of life.
When not writing, she is bird watching, or hiking, or just soaking up some of that Colorado sunshine.
She has published work, both online and in print, including her short story collection, "Last Call", her paranormal mystery novella, "Hidden Secrets", and her western novel, "Delilah".

Reviews

[Jan Sikes]

This is an eclectic and talented group of poets who have come together to contribute to this anthology, and while each writing style is different, each poem is to be savored. Reading this collection also gave me the opportunity to meet some new authors, such as Elizabeth Merry, Jules Paige, and D. Avery. At the same time, I enjoyed poems from authors that I know and follow, Robbie Cheadle, Colleen Cheseboro, Miriam Hurdle, M.J. Mallon, and Harmony Kent. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. Each poem deals with relationships in some way, as that is the overarching theme. M.J. Mallon's poem, "No Holidays for Writers," struck a chord with me. Here's one small example, "Goading, grinning, "Edits to do!" My evil editor winks. Tormenting me...with spelling games confuse and contest..."
Then there's this one from Lynda McKinney Lambert. "I heard the roar of Harley Thunder. The warrior in black leathers returned home."
I loved all of the poems. So, if you want something with variety and are a lover of deeply expressed poetry, this would be a great book for you!

[Victoria Zigler]

Poetry collections like this are always tough to review, because the different writing styles of the various authors mean some poems will always appeal to the reader more than others. This one was no exception, and was one of the hardest to review. There were a few poems that - while wonderfully written - weren't my cup of tea, so to speak. And there were a whole lot of poems I loved. But, whether they would have made it on to my list of favourites from this collection (if I'd created one) or not, all of the poems in this collection were, without a doubt, excellent examples of poetry. I only hesitate to give it the full five stars because of the fact the writing styles of some of the authors featured in this collection weren't to my taste, and would like to point out that this is not a reflection on them or the quality of their poems, but my own personal preferences.

*NOTE: I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced my opinion of the book or the contents of this review, and all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[D. Peach]

I enjoyed the first Poetry Treasures anthology and decided to give this one a try as well. The anthology includes a selection of poems from twelve poets, and as the title suggests, the theme of relationships guided the work. Despite the unifying theme, the poems were quite varied in content and style, and I enjoyed the diversity of forms and voices.

In many anthologies, there’s a range of skill, and some pieces reflect more talent than others. I have to say that in this case, I found all of the poems well-crafted and a pleasure to read. Some of them I recognized from previously published anthologies, and it’s a good sign of their quality that they were so memorable.

That said, I did have some favorites—too many to list, of course. Here is a handful that I especially enjoyed: “The Red Petticoat” by Elizabeth Merry, “A Jar” by D. Avery, “She Lives and Yet She’s Dead” by Robbie Cheadle, and “Fat Belly Joy” by Marjorie Mallon. And so many more.

Prior to each set of poems there’s a short biography of the poet. Many of these poets have their own published collections for readers who didn’t get enough here. The book took me about an hour to read (approximately 36 poems in all) and it was an hour well spent. Highly recommended

[Darlene Foster]

This enjoyable collection of poems, by noteworthy authors, demonstrates that relationships come in many forms. There is something for everyone and many poems are relatable. I particularly enjoyed these lines from Elizabeth Merry's poem, "Frances" which made me think of my grandmother.
"My hands kneading the dough
become your hands in cloudy
puffs of wheaten flour"
Lauren Scott's "The Fine Points" describes a long-term relationship so well as her positive words flow off the page.
And Colleen Chesebro hits the nail on the head with her poem, "True Family"
"it's my experience
that cats and dogs show us
more love with little fuss
my family"
There are many more delightful poems that will have you nodding your head in agreement in this collection.

[D.L. Finn]

“Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships” is a collection of poetry from several authors. I have enjoyed the work of many of the poets, but there were some I met for the first time in this book. It was nice how it was set up to introduce the author before their poetry. I appreciated having many poets together in one collection to experience different views, feelings, and images. The individual take on relationships offered a glimpse into not only their writing but gave me a few new authors to read. There was a lot of great poetry, so I won’t single any out to share. A fantastic read I can easily recommend for poetry lovers.

[Abbie Taylor]

The poems in this collection are on a variety of topics, not just relationships. For example, “Spin Cycle” by D Avery reflects on the history of doing laundry.

I can relate to Robbi Cheadle’s poem, “Workplace Relationships” and agree with the point made in “Ego” by Leon Stevens. Lynda McKinney Lambert’s togetherness poem reminded me of the time I tried to get my late husband to write a memoir with me. This poetry collection has treasures everyone will enjoy.

[Jacqui]

Poetry Treasures, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth, is the second collection in this series, this time focusing on relationships. It is a delightful collection of varied poems from twelve poets that added sparkle to lots of different parts of my day. Some of my favorites--

The Pet--about a favorite dog
The Lightning Tree--about the story behind a lightning-struck tree
Keep it Tight--about the inevitable crowd in a family kitchen
Workplace Relationships--about the unusual camaraderie that develops in office environs

The poets included are all different, with their own take on life's events, but all of them had me thinking outside the lines on events I might otherwise have missed. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the thought-provoking nature of poetry.

[Joy Kidney]

This collection of poetry includes a variety of styles by a dozen authors, men and women, across the globe. One spent time in a Buddhist monastery, another has a doctorate in education, a couple are also musicians and composers, at least one an artist.

I especially enjoyed Jules Paige's poem about siblings, Leon Stevens' four parts dealing with ego, and Lynda McKinney Lambert's "Afternoon Embroidery Lesson" with lines through the alphabet.

[Patricia Furstenberg]

Poetry Treasures invited me to slow down, reflect, and contemplate the intricacies of life. They provide me with moments of quiet introspection, allowing me to pause and ponder the complexities of existence, relationships, nature, and the human experience.
I liked that these verse encouraged me to look inward, to explore new thoughts and emotions, and gain deeper insights into myself and the world around me.