Review of Candidates for sainthood and other sinners, by Don Cellini
Spanish translation by Fer de la Cruz.
Publisher: Mayapple Press 2013
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Candidates-Sainthood-Sinners-Aprendices-Pecadores/dp/1936419297/
The title of Don Cellini’s poetry collection really sets the tone for what is inside. Don presents everyday scenes of real people with real problems and how they cope, and sometimes just get by. Nothing is glorified and nothing is exaggerated. We are witness to what is happening on the streets, and from that we are allowed to form our own opinion, and perhaps take a side regarding who we consider the saints to be and who we consider the sinners to be. Part of the powerful imagery is accomplished by the landscape and background being given a voice and a part to play.
Highlights:
– It was chilly and I awoke before
– Haitian mothers use their hands
– All he asked for was a ride home.
A poem about violence, which contained the most powerful lines in this book: “The stars closed their eyes”, and “… and the moon had to turn away.”
