Review Summary: "Still I love to see the sun go down, and the world go around"
There’s a love of life to be found here. A love of love, too. Of friendship and giving and steadfast togetherness. It’s found in depictions of nature – of country roads and the warmth of the sun. It’s revealed in passionate and unqualified declarations of unity, draped in rhyme and rallying metaphor. It’s demarcated by an unwavering opposition to injustice: heartfelt, pure and simple.
It’s, erm, all a bit much … isn’t it？
Unduly optimistic, perhaps. A shoddy portrayal of life, one that’s jarring and cloying and false. A dangerous opiate – sickly sweet – catching in the throat. Childish, even. The naïve, stubborn refusal to acknowledge the suffering inherent in life and admit that it can’t be overcome. Life is not that simple. Everything is not ok. Love doesn’t last; joy is elusive; injustice is prevalent and unavoidable, says the voice in my head.
It’s all a bit much … surely？
Or maybe that’s just the charm of it, that which makes ‘
Poems, Prayers & Promises’ so compelling. Simplistic as it may be, its spirit and outlook is certainly contagious – that of standing resilient and kind and perhaps even smiling in spite of it all. A yearning to live and live well, tucked between textured melodies and warm, oaken tones. Seeing the best in everything and everyone, including oneself, no matter how obscured. Brave, dumb positivity. Hyperbole, perhaps (read: probably (read: certainly)), but such is the comfort and reassurance that can be gleaned from Denver’s humble musings. Perhaps it is a ‘head-in-the-sand’ kind of comfort, one lacking realism and nuance, but that’s okay. Time enough to dwell on the world’s hardships, I think. For now, pull up a pew with John, rest those weary feet and have a sing – if only for a moment.
