POEMS AND MUSINGS FROM AN ASPIRING AUTHOR AND LITERARY ENTHUSIAST

A Selected Few Just For You, by Jacqueline Carr (Jacqueline Carr, Middleton, DE, 2014, 178 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”  - Buddha -

January 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - Jacqueline Carr, an author and Adjunct Instructor at York College (CUNY), and literary enthusiast, has written a novel which is an expression of her innermost thoughts and observations; A Selected Few Just For You. One that stands out to me is that of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which states:

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days,

Smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the

Clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your

Heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to

See, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you

Can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to

Know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to

Complete your life.”

This is typical of what the author has written in this book, which includes those of others and her own musings. One of the author’s that resonates with me is titled “The Boss”, which states:

“I have encountered various types of personalities in my life

The ‘boss’ oftentimes shows his superiority in different forms

He never lets you forget who is the boss

This is a brief, factual, description

Of an eccentric ‘boss’

That I once had.

A small man in stature,

Deceivingly, soft-spoken,

Very rotund by nature or by greed,

Took pleasure in being critical of my work,

Nitpicking was the order of the day,

Elevated himself by putting me down,

The wax build-up in his ear was very conspicuous,

His air of superiority was clearly obvious,

But being a positive thinker by design

I understood that everything is temporary,

So I was overjoyed when I was told that

I no longer had to work

For this stuck up, over-zealous,

‘trying to prove myself better than you’

Rotund, overeater, who called himself my ‘boss’”.

I am sure that so many of us have had similar sentiments as Carr, which is why this book by her seems to grab at our collective hearts and minds. This book is very thought provoking and well-written, one that seems to have a calming effect on our minds.

Dennis Moore is the Associate Editor for the East County Magazine in San Diego and the book review editor for SDWriteway, an online newsletter for writers in San Diego that has partnered with the East County Magazine, as well as a freelance contributor to EURweb based out of Los Angeles. He is also the author of a book about Chicago politics; “The City That Works: Power, Politics and Corruption in Chicago.” Mr. Moore can be contacted at contractsagency@gmail.com or you can follow him on Twitter at: @DennisMoore8.