Teresa Pearsall's Seeds, Trees, Branches, and Leaves is a book of meditative musings, life happenings conveyed in form of free verse, rhythmic and narrative poetry, with a great level of facts, human experiences, and profound, life-changing advice embedded within its lyrics. I paused to think, and reflect long after reading each line. They are profound beyond words.
Teresa Pearsall started our poetic journey by first introducing us to the biblical interpretations of Seeds, Trees, Branches, and Leaves. This was subtly followed by poems conveying different themes, and information. I admired the author's take on addiction in the poem titled "The First Time We Met." As someone who has suffered from certain addictions myself, I could resonate with the depth of her words, lyrics, and pathetic poetic arguments, they had me mulling, searching for meaning, and left me in a state of self-meditation.
The poem "When A Mother Does Crack" talks about the narrator's struggle with drug abuse. I was particularly captivated knowing this affected the narrator's daughter along the line... "my daughter's young days were filled with gloom..." I found the lyrics of "I Know What It Looked Like" quite powerful, rhythmic, and pathos in nature. I'd love to consider it the thought of a vilest sinner who's now rethinking his step and asking questions about his own life. The poem, "I Am Not Who I Used To Be" takes the style of a narrator's testimony of freedom and liberation from her old self, habit, and nature and the embracement of a new nature.
I admire the tone of the poem "God Is 24/7." It is very satirical and thought-provoking. Other Poems that stood with me are those titled, I Know What It Looked Like, That Old Coat, I Am Not Who I Used to Be, God is 24/7, Alone, Addiction Come To Stay, Do Not Love Me To Death, The Voice Behind My Tears, Like Tamar, among many others.
Moreover, the play, Rag in Progress takes us through the story of a helpless woman in the name of Angel, and how she suffered abuse, and humiliation at the hands of her husband, Demond. The story of Angel is a lesson to many others out there who are trying to endure pain, emotional abuse, and torture in their marriage/relationships, as we've seen rampantly in our world today. Angel comes as an example of emulation and victory.
There is much to say about Seeds, Trees, Branches, and Leaves, many of which I would restrict revealing more in an attempt to keep this review spoiler free. I was taken aback by the depth of information, and realities conveyed in this book of poems and narrative verses. I solely recommend this book to lovers of poetry and literature at large.
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