MWSA Book Review

Wishing for Rain

Author:  Jim Greenwald

Publisher:  Publish America

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

Poetry That is Pure as Emotional Rain

“Wishing For Rain” is one of those well thought out books of emotionally flowing prose; the kind of poetry that speaks of lost loves and loneliness. The poet uses the rain as a spiritual bridge from his heart to the universe. Jim Greenwald’s wonderfully crafted little poetry book (59 pages) comes across as soft and sensitive and at times inspirational without losing any male energy. It is a book that men will be able to relate to.

Even though the words from most of his poems deal with lost loves and being alone, the under current is all about hope. The poet takes his readers on a journey of feelings and dreams and desires. He uses simple naked phrasing, which paints the inner image of what he is feeling without over writing each individual piece of poetry. It is a straight forward approach to his poetry that is honest. He dives into his heart quickly and pulls out pearls of feeling with each poem. It is poetry that easy to read and to understand.

My favorite poem was the title poem “Wishing For Rain,” where the poet asks:

If I screamed I love you…would it rain again!

Would I hear your words

Or feel only your tears as

They fell from the sky mixing with mine

Truly one of the better poetry books written over the past couple of years; a good book to buy as a gift to someone you care about.

Reviewer: Joe Fabel – MWSA Review Board

Through his poetry the author allows us to participate in his search for identity, for meaning in life, for those things which help to understand oneself. It is a seeking to become comfortable with whom we are as a whole being.

Each poem allows a glimpse into a personal challenge, a question of love unreturned, an emptiness caused by mistakes.

The poet does not hesitate to weight his motives or his choice of action. All comes under his introspection and judgment.

He finds that often he is late in grasping the realization of losing love and understanding, his lack of response being the cause of the loss.

The poems deal with true human emotions and relationships. The author has a real strength of expression in relating his hopes, his searching as well as his understanding of his plight. The poetry is a wonderful exposure of the human condition of the thoughtful individual.

The reader will discover that the mechanics of Greenwald’s poetry are that of narrative poetry, the use of the iambic pentameter and imagery. There is power in his work.