Pillars of Sand, Kent C. Schroer's first full-length Poetry chapbook, weaves a rich landscape of tragically human tales; the awkwardness of growing up, family ties, loss and isolation, and the harsh duality of our relationship with nature, are all explored here in gorgeous depth. There is excellent cadence, a soft musicality that imbues each poem with an uplifting hope; juxtaposed with their sharp honesty and solemn revelations, creates an experience that leaves the reader weathered and worn, and equally strengthened from it. Conclusively, the book speaks volumes on impermanence, the consequences we face when confronted with our own minute existence, and the whirring forces of fate that create such dreadful situations way beyond our control. Drawing influence from old and new, including such poets as Dylan Thomas, Jane Hirshfield and Philip Larkin, Pillars of Sand stands out as a brief but stunning snapshot of humanity; our fortune and our flaws, and the pervading grayness in between that doles out the commerce of our daily lives. This is a collection meant for everyone: it confesses the immense depths of our pain, but also exalts the warm, endearing connection between us as a people, both intimately and on a global scale. Pillars of Sand is a lifetime in the making, a decidedly imperfect storm of memories, regrets and reconciliation, and it deserves an audience reflective of its imagination and immensity.

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