The Clerk's Tale : Poems

Rating:
Summary: Luminous
Review: Spencer Reece has achieved a rarity in first poetry books--a collection that displays the voice of maturity and the guileless wonder of youth. The Clerk's Tale concerns itself with no less than the journey of the soul. Many of the "tales" are taken from Reece's life and detail the loss of his home and possessions, his time spent in a psychiatric ward, and his gradual recovery and the reclamation of his life. Though these beautifully rendered pieces are heartbreaking in their forthrightness and honesty, they never wallow in self-pity or lapse into solipsism; instead they ultimately reaffirm the necessity of accepting darkness and difficulty as part and parcel of a fully realized life. I highly recommend this collection.