Encounters By Nadine K. Thompson Poetry Book Review Grade A+

Encounters By Nadine K. Thompson Poetry Book Review Grade A+ for this exciting vision and visceral collection of poems.
 
Encounters is a whirlwind of experiences shared poignantly by the poet that enthrall the reader with the journey.
 
Author Nadine K. Thompson introduces the book "Encounters" [as] a compilation of poems about daily life encounters and the psychological and social effects that they have on the individual. Encounters can be delicate and personal, fulfilling and happy, as well as subtle and sexy, and always with a hint of pain and heartbreak. [Amazon.com]
 
Her experiences as an expatriate from Jamaica who has lived in Cambridge and China and has traveled widely abroad come across in fresh ways that invigorate the senses.
 
In her poem “The Grand Canal” Thompson writes about watching the boats on the waterway and then climbing aboard one herself:
 
I take a stroll on the riverboat,
Relaxing my mind,
Clearing my thoughts.
In a bottle of aromatic oils,
I take in the view.
 
The point cannot be lost: there are two experiences here and one is watching the boats go by, one by one, and another is climbing on the boat to experience it for yourself, and her memory of the “armomatic” smells passes to the reader beautifully.
 
Encounters shares a soulful observance of the world through open eyes.
 
And there is a certain sense of humor and spiciness to the voice that Thompson brings to her works.
 
From “Left To Chance”:
 
The chances of you,
The chances of me,  
A single line in unison,
Like two full breasts,
Teased into Satisfaction,
What are the chances of that?
 
Overall, Encounters By Nadine K. Thompson is a book of poetry that is full of twists and unexpected turns, a wealth of exotic and also deeply personal experiences as observed by a keen eye that enjoys keeping exploring the meanings and the guesses of what it all is.
 
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