Candid and lingering… A compelling collection.
Passionate and profound, Pack’s soulful collection of thirty poems takes the reader on a ride into the wild abandonment and chaos of a depressed mind as it embarks on a journey of self-love and discovery. In “When You’ve Nowhere to Go Except the Beyond,” the simplicity of language makes the protagonist’s world, which is full of the trappings of depression feel all the more alive. He explores depression (“Wounded – no Connection”), introspection and realization (“A Mermaid Pair” and “I Don’t Want to be Angry”); enlightenment (‘‘Breaking the Shell to Blossom”); and nostalgia (“Light My Fire”), finding lyricism in every corner. Pack’s intimate candor and way with words make the title poem profoundly affecting (“The black chaos/ Drips on the page/ Nightmares live in/ Reality –/ I release the/ Fears through my pen/ They never leave/ But they have lost/ Their hold on me”). Welcome moments of hope and encouragement punctuate the series of despairs in “Today is a Gift” (“End the anxiety and depression/ Live in the present moment/ Now is the only/ Time that matters”). Imaginative and candid, the collection will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.
Black Chaos
By James Pack
Pack Enterprises LLC
Pub date April 13, 2020
ASIN B08WJLGG7M
Price $2.99 (USD) Kindle edition