From Where I Stand, Poetry by Robert Zimmermann

Goodreads Synopsis:

From Robert Zimmermann comes From Where I Stand, an emotional debut poetry collection. Zimmermann explores strained parental relationships, loss of life, and the despair associated with grief. Alongside these darker themes, he delves into the small areas of life that often go unnoticed but become the hope we are searching for.

My thoughts:

Just from reading the forward you already know your about to see a man’s soul laid raw on the pages that follow!

Now normally I look for myself in poetry and I find the more I’ll like a poem is due to whether or not I can place its emotions in my past or present. I went into this collection telling myself, you are not looking for yourself, you are here to learn about this man. Robert really has given us a look at the emotions and experiences he has been exposed to. After reading this collection of poetry I appreciate the man whose blog I’ve come to enjoy reading even more.

I really do think this is a great collection of work. Yes I did prefer the poems I could find myself in, but I found myself drawn into all the poems and at times wanting to jump through the pages into the past and smack Robert’s father in the face.

I find it hard to say I enjoyed these poems, because there is a lot of pain and anger and you can’t really enjoy that, but the collection was emotionally beautiful and I am glad I read it and I will read it again I am sure.

I read to experience what my life can’t give me and to escape my day to day and this book certainly did that, it took me and placed me in another’s life.

I would recommend this collection not just for poetry fans, as I think it’s more of a book for people who like to feel what others feel, to get a glimpse into other peoples life, anyone with empathy could get into this book.

I hope that makes sense, I am rather nervous writing a review on Robert’s work as I enjoy reading his reviews, oh dear, better go have some wine now!