Customer Reviews

Come, Joy!: Songs from the Soft of Night

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Come Joy!:Songs from the Soft of Night is a celebration of love and those who we love. It carries the soft swoosh of a heart soaring above the clouds and the dull throb of a heart once broken. It is a frank reaffirmation of faith and an acknowledgement of things gone past and things yet to come. The book flows with the ease of silver streams and freedom rushing. Passion and compassion for the craft and the subjects is obvious and enjoyable. No where is Come Joy overcome by "poetese" or ivory tower mumbo jumbo. This is poetry from the heart, to the heart. Come Joy! is an easy read and a refreshing break from "poetry" that makes you to work. Come Joy sets the right tone at the start continues to deliver until it ends. Male or female, Come Joy makes a good gift for that special someone.

From reading only the first four poems in this collection; I knew I was on to something wonderful. Come Joy, Songs From The Soft of Night by Bridgette Alyce Greathouse Wynn will touch your heart when you remember the softness of the nights in your own life. I've never seen a collection containing so many poems in one book but it works for Wynn. The more you read her poems, the more you want to read them. Bridgette is a good, solid poet with a gift of words. There are no barriers in her work. It is not surprising that so much poetry flows from her because she is dedicated to the craft of self-expression, observation and emotion in her poetry.

The book is broken up into several definitive sections which organizes the work. I thought that was a really good editing move. It is a book of poems that you will want to leave on your night stand after you have read it in it's entirety because most of the poems deserved to be re-read. Aptly titled; it expresses the coming of joy after a long soft night.

In the first section; Songs of Love she writes;

"If you let me come close
I'll dress your wounds
and hold you till the
new skin grows
clean and perfect . . .
We've picked at the
scab long enough
both of us
and . . . the blood begins
to ooze
There is nothing more
painful than a healing heart
places inside where
my arms can't reach . . .
Where my lips can't kiss
away the ache . . ."

This poem, All I have is Rain continues but just those lines alone, I thought were very powerful. Wynn's poetry slices at your memories because the self-expression and perception in her work is unusually good. Her poems flow and are easy to read. Nothing is worse to me than a cumbersome book of poetry. There is nothing remotely cumbersome about this poet's work. Her poems are clear. Her lines read easily and you know that they have slipped out of her mainly because she is a natural poet.

There is sorrow and joy in these poems. There is peace and love in these poems. There is family, friendship, race issues, struggle and faith in the poems of Bridgette Alyce Wynn. You will recognize a sensitive but strong Black woman from the South in this book. The voice of the poet came through. In the section entitled Songs of Nature she pens a short poem;

"The Oracle
she was born to speak to him, who was born to hear
Spirit truths, pure water
rained down on Dormant dream seed
in his faith garden"

Ms. Wynn's poetry can also be deep and you will find some of her poems just give you an image to work with and a brief spiritual word. You will find much inspiration in this book and you will be blessed by the poetry of Bridgette Alyce Wynn.

I haven't been into much poetry lately so reviewing this book was a treat for me. On a scale of one to five, I'd rate this book a very strong five. Poetry lovers will not be disappointed.

Idrissa Uqdah.

This work is a must read because it speaks to the soul. Not in the usual format of poetics, they are stories, real and true from the heart that reaches us all down in those deep places. Every time I pick it up, there's a new, important message for me. It's one for the nightstand.

Ms. Wynn's poetry is soothing, like a healing balm. It touches on every aspect of our lives. If we haven't been through something, we get a real sense that we can handle it when we do. Because Bridgette has been there, seen it, and lived to tell. This is a book for all people. What a blessing, what a joy!

In "Come, Joy! Songs from the Soft of the Night" Bridgette Alyce bears her soul in poetic serenades of love, loved ones, nature, and spirit.

The rhythm of the prose and the balance of emotion makes Alyce a true psalmist. The poems are honest and meaningful. "Come, Joy!" is book of inspiration worthy to be on the bookshelves of everyone breathing. She shows that dark times don't have to be filled with fear and turmoil. When the world sleeps through the night you can find solace in the softness of the voice that speaks from within.

Makasha Dorsey, Reviewer
Atlanta, GA

This work is definitely a book you must read over and over. I have several favorites, including, "Meditation", "My Love is a Song", and all the ones describing the author's great love for family and special frienships. The title piece in the final chapter on the spiritual relationship with the Creator, is also a favorite, and Ms. Wynn's earnest invocation of the Spirit throughout is evidence of the connection she desires to make and maintain in sharing the gift she's been blessed with. The poems in the collection minister to the soul in different ways, encouraging and instructing, edifying and uplifting and especially in the soft of my own nights, these poem confirm what the heart has always known. There is joy in the morning. A must read for people who enjoy good literature that speaks to the heart.

When I read the selection, "All I have is Rain," it stirred me so that I had to have it open my novel. She agreed without hesitation. It was as if she had read my manuscript. She hadn't. That poem spoke to my protagonist's heart and soul.

Bridgette Alyce has a touch that you cannot forget long after you've read her words. She is a poet extraordinaire. I rate this book 5 stars.

Poetry is such a deeply personal genre. It very often opens the hearts, minds, and wounds of a poet allowing their heartbeats, thoughts and blood drain on to the pages. Sometimes the poet is effective in touching individuals; giving words to those who had none to express. Bridgette Alyce is one of those in her book of poetry, Come, Joy!

Ms. Alyce is truly gifted with words. Her ability to paint an abstract print in some of her work stands strong beside the simplicity that she captures in others. The foreword of her book, presented in a poem, proved to be one of my favorites with vivid imagery of renewed sense of self. The only bothersome thing I found in the collection of Come, Joy! was the intensely personal poems that were written for specific people. These selections, (mostly found in the section "Songs of Loved Ones") which speak to an individual or particular situation, forced a wall of disconnection for this reader. While again the beauty of words existed I could only empathize when I would have liked to sympathize with the emotions shared. However, pieces like "Anytime", "2 a. m. (muse)", and "Forgiveness"captured true moments for this reader.

While not all the poetry spoke to me on a personal level, I have a great respect for Ms. Alyce's gift with words and gift to the genre. I look forward to reading more.


Kotanya
APOOO BookClub

...Poetry does more than stir one's soul. Good poetry provokes multi-level thinking and excellent poetry ties those thoughts in with the spiritual, emotional, sociological, and other aspects of a person's essence. Author Bridgette Alyce Greathouse Wynn has composed a book brimming with excellent poetry. COME, JOY! SONGS FROM THE SOFT OF NIGHT speaks tenderly of love gained, musically of loved ones, joyfully of spiritual journeys, and appreciatively of nature observed. I enjoyed reading almost every poem in this timeless collection.

It is impossible for me to choose a favorite poem from COME, JOY!, but every time I read "Cover Me" on page 53, I thoroughly enjoy it. Musical allusions and a melodic rhythm magnify the already intense diction of the poem. It is deep on many levels, and you can't help but let your mind dance with the poem. All manner of images surface in my mind when I read it, and I love the smoothly abrupt way that it coasts to an end, like a dip at the end of a tango.

Author Wynn shows readers throughout the book that she is a skilled poet, experimenting with various styles and techniques and manipulating the English language for optimality. She begins and ends the composition with very fitting haikus while indulging in vivid descriptions on everything in between. Most all of the poems in the Songs of Love section and the Songs of Nature section impressed me, even though every section in this book is more than worth readers' time and close attention.

I love how Wynn makes me think, stirs the embers of my own poetic fire, and makes me want to dig deeper into her poetry. They're full - of life, sounds, emotions, and journeys. I want to analyze them and extract any and every meaning possible. She inspires me to read more, write more, and study more. Simply put, COME, JOY is poetry at its best.

Reviewed by Natasha T.
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers