Unopened

The author, Doug Hoekstra, is a blogger, singer, musician, songwriter, writer, and poet. In this last incarnation, he presents this volume of previously published and new poetry. It is a slim volume, but every lover of poetry is sure to find arresting images and allegory. In particular, the poem “The Teeterboard” is an homage to perfect equality and balance. Two children of opposite sex laugh and enjoy the playground toy. They are suspended equally, enjoying the moment. The poet ponders the “bedroom, boardroom and war room of adulthood where everything is chaos.” Similarly, “On My Way to Work” spies a woman as faded as her tattoos with young children who smile lovingly at her, oblivious of the rain and nearby gunshots. This is an observation of family unity unbroken by poverty and circumstance. Readers and lovers of poetry are sure to find other poems in this slim volume that speak to them and give them pause. There is variety in this collection. It does not build to a central theme or leitmotif, but poetry is meant to surprise and be unpredictable.