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Light for the Orphans
The middle section of this book consists of personal narratives in the voice of a young man coming to terms with deciding not follow in his father and grandfather's profession of farming. The bookend sections contain poems from people in all walks of life.
- GenresPoetry
108 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 7, 2018
Mills’ poems feel as though they are about real people, in real places, in a real time. He reflects on small towns, ordinary people, and farming for a living. He focuses on a dying way of life and on topics that have long ago died as topics for art and literature. Reading this collection of poems was both sad and beautiful.
His poems carry a weight to them unlike most modern poetry - a weight of melancholy. A weight of time standing still, time passing, and time passed. His poems have Humanity on display; they echo the hopes and dreams of the people depicted in them, their failures and disappointments, their joys and sorrows. These people’s souls seem to jump from the pages and whisper, “Life may not have been perfect, it may not even have been good... but it WAS good. And now it is gone - life itself, the good ol’ days and ways, the farm, the land, the gossip, the people. It is gone - moved on to some new city and some new way of living.”
His poems carry a weight to them unlike most modern poetry - a weight of melancholy. A weight of time standing still, time passing, and time passed. His poems have Humanity on display; they echo the hopes and dreams of the people depicted in them, their failures and disappointments, their joys and sorrows. These people’s souls seem to jump from the pages and whisper, “Life may not have been perfect, it may not even have been good... but it WAS good. And now it is gone - life itself, the good ol’ days and ways, the farm, the land, the gossip, the people. It is gone - moved on to some new city and some new way of living.”
October 5, 2022
This is something special. Mills' language is original and his perception clear, even when clouded by real pain and melancholy. There is mystery in these poems, as well as acknowledgement of the mystic in the human relationship to others, to memory, and to God. The major acclaim that Mills received for his work is earned, and his early death is a blow to those who connect with his elegiac reflections.
December 4, 2015
Wilmer taught a poetry class I attended at Covenant College. He changed everything I knew about poetry. Thank you Wilmer. You left behind more orphans than you imagined. And gave them light.
July 2, 2016
I don't often read poetry, but this was written by a friend's son. I loved it. Poignant,tender,different from many poetry books.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews