Title: Deafening Silence
Author: Reverend Carl Yount
Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 1647537568
Pages: 102
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington
Hollywood Book Review
When you read the first poem in Deafening Silence, ‘Two Lovers,’ you get a glimpse of what it is to be in love; the joys, the challenges. The lines in this poem are short, the stanzas too are short, but the message is all too powerful to ignore. When you get to the second poem, the feeling remains to be the same; a short poem with strong words. That is the first thing you will appreciate about author, poet, and Reverend Carl Yount. He has this writing prowess which will make the reader glued on his words and gives them the urge to keep reading. The feelings one gets after reading the poems are raw and authentic. Reverend Carl Yount’s decision to make the poems short was genius. The few words and short stanzas encourage reading of more poems, and thus one gets to enjoy a dozen topics within a few pages.
One of the poems I would encourage everyone to read is ‘Letter From the Beast.’ This poem sounded different from many others in the book. The first distinct thing about ‘Letter from the Beast’ is the arrangement of stanzas. Unlike the poems prior, Reverend Carl Yount arranged this poem to take a semi-spiral shape, which was a unique thing to do as it made it stand out. The message in the poem also resonated with me on a personal level. This poem is a letter to a friend. The person has so much to share with the friend but saying it verbally became a tad difficult so they chose to put the message in writing instead.
‘Letter from the Beast’ had me think of the many times I wanted to share something with an acquaintance, colleague, or friend, only to maintain my silence as I had no idea of which words to use. You would want to talk to a friend about your pain, success or sad times, but fail to do so due to one thing or another. The main take-away from this poem is that if words fail you, pen down a letter and the message will get to your recipient without making any party uncomfortable. There are several other poems in the book which spoke to me on a spiritual level and I appreciate the author for compiling them.
The selection of topics in the book is also commendable. By the end of the reading, one feels as if they are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Some topics can throw you off and take you to a somber mood. Others will lighten up your spirit and make you appreciate poetry as an art. What I enjoyed about Reverend Carl Yount is his ability to find balance between sad topics and those which bring joy and cheer.
Deafening Silence is a light read and a great book to have with you as a companion book while traveling. The poems sound newer and fresher each and every time you read them. The reader gets to reflect on their deeds, appreciate life and think of ways to improve one’s self. The best thing however about reading this book is how the author transports you to a different world where all you do is appreciate literature as being one of the many forms of art. Deafening Silence, inherent with its oxymoronic title, is a very relaxing book.