Author: John Kaniecki
Publisher: Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed By: Jessica
About the Book:
Poet to the Poor is a collection of poetry written for the bottom one percent. This work draws from historical figures and everyday people from John’s life, creating a powerful poetic testimony. In revolutionary fashion John defies both the politics of the day and the modern style of poetry. The poems are written in a wide variety of styles, and rhyming is prominent. Passion and purpose abounds in these words. With over forty of the poems previously published, this work constitutes John’s best, including the award winning poem “Tea with Joe Hill”. If you want something to inspire you to change the world, this book is a must. Take a journey into the lives of the bottom one percent. The poor.
My Review:
3/5 Stars
“Countless wonders the Earth does contain/ Like anguish, horror and pain.”
- Poet to the Poor by John Kaniecki
Poet to the Poor is a collection of poems written for the bottom one percent, or the poor. The poems address topics such as war, hate, death, crime, and slavery, while using experiences from John’s personal life and historical figures and events. Some of the poems are political in a sense because of the nature of the main topics.
Although I don’t necessarily agree with every word or poem John wrote, I respect him and his ability to create this collection of poems to express his thoughts and raise awareness for life as the bottom one percent. It takes a brave individual to write and publish content such as this, and his desire to help others and become an advocate for these people’s rights is impressive and deserves attention and respect. The collection as a whole made me question my own personal actions and what else I could potentially be doing to help those around me and make a difference in their lives.
There were several poems that stood out to me including, ‘The Mistress Money,’ ‘A Bouquet,’ ‘A Poor Man’s Statement,’ ‘The Universe in Motion,’ and ‘Clowns.’ ‘Nothing People’ was my favorite out of the collection because of the emotion and strong message behind it. It engenders a line of discussion and questioning on the labels of people.
I would definitely recommend others to read Poet of the Poor or at least some poems from the collection. Although you may not connect with or agree with everything included, the material itself produces thought-provoking topics with powerful implications and potential discussions.
Amazon Link
About the Author:
John Kaniecki is a member of the Revolutionary Poet’s Brigade and Secretary for Rhyming Poet’s International. John volunteers as a missionary in the inner city of Newark, New Jersey, for the Church of Christ at Chancellor Avenue. John is active in the antiwar movement. In particular John is a strong advocate of the rights of indigenous people. He has two previously published books. A poetry book entitled Murmurings of a Mad Man by eLectio Publishing and a science fiction story collection entitled Words of the Future published by Witty Bard Publishing.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.