I do not read or review a lot of poetry.  It is never an easy choice.  I think I try too hard to find a story and therefore miss the point – to enjoy the prose.  The poems of this collection enabled me to make a connection.  I enjoyed the flow as well as the subjects covered.  The poem Finding My Feet hit close to my heart.  This author has made me consider trying more poetry; however, I will read with not only my brain but also my heart.

For more about this author and his other works of poetry, CLICK HERE.

SUMMARY

Hear the poet in a succinct moment of self-adulation, he writes:

“My brain thinks faster than my words can convey.
My mind works magic. Can I live this life forever?”

Divided into three sections, Never Play Games with the Devil showcases a poet, at the height of his powers, exploring several themes in different voices.

In the first section, the poet is the charismatic preacher encouraging people to Hustle, Find their Feet and Grow. He writes about the lot of Broken Men crashing under the weight of expectations; he talks about boys like Eddie and Edmund bullied for the shape of their heads. He humorously addresses the consequence of choices in the title poem, Never Play Games with the Devil.

The second section secures him a seat as an activist. We see the poet tackle, in verse, despotic and undemocratic government, marauding killer herdsmen and the pastor who lost his voice. The poet mourns the hapless souls in the crossfire between society’s rot and the State’s insouciance.

The final poems explore the basis of human relationships. The poems here deal with love, commitment and trust.

Never Play Games with the Devil is a didactic collection of poems on pertinent life issues. These poems draw their appeal from the poet’s ability to sustain a figment of thought through the entire span of each poem.