“Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival” by Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur

Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur
Outskirts Press (2021)
ISBN 9781977249999
Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (01/2022)

“Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival” is a volume of poetry with universal lessons of recovery and optimism. If you’ve ever felt low, alone…fearful, you will connect with these poems in a personal way. But besides the somber themes they address, this collection also inspires visions of hope and a brighter tomorrow. You may have once witnessed a sunrise so beautiful that it made you feel hopeful, and still gives you positive thoughts that today or tomorrow will be better. Being in nature can do that to you…bring you up when you’re feeling down and refresh you when you feel stagnate. We are never promised that sad or troubled times won’t come along, but we can all come to realize that these times of “testing” can actually strengthen us and teach us valuable life lessons.

With uplifting messages, this poet encourages readers to examine the inner self and not fail to accept help from those who wish to instill in you what all of us depend on: self-appreciation, strength, survival skills, and the will to continue. As humans, from birth, an inner wisdom and strength is implanted in us; we are stronger than we think. These poems point us in the direction of finding the answers within ourselves. We are capable of good things, becoming better people, and finding happiness. These are the themes of these poems, and it’s obvious that Jolicoeur has his finger on the pulse of what humanity is all about. His phrasing is lovely, rhythmic, and compassionate; his words can uplift you, erase the sadness, and possibly inspire you to look at the world and your own life in a new way.

The author of these poems explains how some of them were written in times of deep depression, but that they also possess positive ideas of identity, freeing yourself, and turning to a Higher Power in time of need. One of my personal favorites is “I Shall be the One,” which is a really beautiful sentiment about compassion.

If you or someone you know could use some insight, inspiration, and direction in the form of lovely poetry, I highly recommend the brief but meaningful, “Your Sun Will Rise Again.”