Can a cockroach enter into Heaven? Will Saint Peter allow it? In the tradition of Psalms, Socrates, Solomon, and Seus, simply illustrated and shorter than a sinner's prayer, "On how the Cockroach..." tackles the canons of our catechisms, the perceptions of our realities, the emblems around our necks, and, perhaps, the dark recesses of our prejudices.
Book Review. I was asked by the writer to review this book and after some initial hesitation, I have now read all of the poems, over one hundred of them, and I am delighted and impressed with the quality of the writing and the diversity of the subject matter. I was reminded at times of the protest songs of the sixties, the poetry put to music of my young generation, but this book is far more sophisticated and compelling. I am pleased that I took the time to read them. The writing is very good and there are some real gems of use of language, for example, in ‘The Widow’ in which the emotion is heartbreaking he says; ‘now a sole traveller in bereavement journey’ This conjures up bleakness in a few well chosen words. All the social injustices are included, and some poems speak of Prejudice, Racism, Religious freedom, Politics and more. One of my favourites is ‘Always Hoping’ which stayed with me for a while because of the imagery of homelessness was so real. There is a very comprehensive glossary which I always appreciate, as not all writers take the time to do this properly. All told, this is an amazing collection but I feel that one poem needs singled out for special mention, it is; ‘Issues of Today (Silence is not always Golden). The thoughts in this poem are things we have heard before and know to be true, but the ideas are put in different ways which make you more aware that to do or say nothing about injustice is always wrong. Hope this poet keeps on writing.
Everyone is welcome in heaven, right? Or do we have to meet a physical standard? Or maybe prove that we have a soul? Or practice the right religion? In his short story, On how the Cockroach, after having died, and after a short conversation with Saint Peter, entered the Gates of Heaven, V. Campudoni points out that there is a lot of hypocrisy in religious standards and who must abide by them and who doesn’t. Once upon a time, the rules were fairly simple. There were givens such as women who wore red were sinners and would not be allowed into heaven. Everyone knew that. Today, there are so many religions and sects that there are a myriad of reasons why people can, or cannot, enter heaven. The reasons even within one religion or sect can change over years or over the course of a conversation if the old reasons no longer apply or the argument is not working. So, in the end, if the cards are stacked against you, can you simply deceive your way in? This cute and thought-provoking story definitely merits 5 stars. I thank the author for a review copy.