“Still, the Sky” by Tom Pearson

Still, the Sky

Tom Pearson
Ransom Poet Publishers (2022)
ASIN B0B1C1PKH9
Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (09/2022)

I found “Still, the Sky” by Tom Pearson to be a remarkable piece of literary work. This book of poetry is based on Greek mythology, yet reflects the beauty, the ugly, and the good and the bad of raw human emotion in exquisite vocabulary organized in poetry form. The author retells mythological stories in different collections of poems which accumulate into one book-length poem. He does this so successfully that the book flows effortlessly from beginning to end in a celebration of literature, history, and human emotion.

I am not only struck by Pearson’s skills but also his creativity. As a fan of “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri, I found Pearson’s book brilliant, a high-level literary piece that enriches readers’ vocabulary, stimulates their imagination, and satisfies the thirst for deep thought. As I read on, I unconsciously let go of the mythology and enjoyed the poetry as it touched aspects of my own life experiences with loss, life, and love. Below is a small sample from the book of how I related to it:

Piece from In the Garden of Asterion: vi. Rite of Spring (page 47 – ebook format)

“Unable to account for the mounting losses,
For mothers, fathers, mentors, god temptations—
Genius, still, we played in the maze. We loved
Obfuscating it.”

I took this piece very personally, as in two years I lost 7 very close loved ones (my mother included) and so it made me think of all the people I loved only to lose them through death. They represented mother, father figure, mentors; and yet I still fall for the same temptations that might have contributed to their deaths as I play in the maze of life obfuscating the luck of the draw….

I personally, have enjoyed the ride as I re-discover Greek mythology through poetry as I rekindled my feelings on some old personal experiences through Pearson’s words.

Overall, “Still, the Sky” by Tom Pearson is a work of literary creative genius destined to enrich poetry and mythology lovers as a five-star must-have classic read. It is also an inspiring collection of poems that will stimulate reflection on our own life journey and the feelings that have marked our hearts.