I could go on and on about what the world needs more of these days. We all know that Love tops the list for certain. Another important concept that is necessary is compassion. This is where this book of poetry – Flare – serves a beautiful purpose.
The author of this poetry book, Camisha L. Jones, is a dear friend of mine. Before getting to know her I made some assumptions. I didn’t know the personal struggles she deals with on a regular basis. The purpose of Flare (in my opinion) is to teach us lessons of compassion. Disabilities and ailments are not always visible. As a mother of a son with special needs I know this all too well.
People are fighting battles you know nothing about. Be kind.
I read Flare in one sitting and fell in love with my friend all over again. Though the book is elegantly simple with black and white text – no images – Jones does a beautiful job of using spacing and text styles to make you feel the words as they are read.
For anyone the suffers from chronic illness or knows someone that does, this book will resonate with you. It will force you to empathize with your loved one or simply appreciate the fact that someone understands your pain.
I have several of the poems dog-eared because they made me feel. The poem that touched me the most was “The Sound Barrier”. In this poem Jones shares her experience with hearing loss. It took me back to the day that she disclosed her hearing challenges with me as a friend. I had no clue. In this poem she describes hearing loss,
“Being hard of hearing is kinda like filling in the blanks of a Wheel of Fortune puzzle.”
As I read every page of the book, I ended in tears because well….my friend loves me as much as I love her. She shouted me out in the gratitude section. Girl, I was so full. That was totally unexpected and such a beautiful surprise. Thank you – for that and for allowing me to be a part of your journey.
Check out her interview with IMHO 101 Jamz.
For more about Camisha L. Jones, visit her on Facebook.
Love you, Camisha!!!
