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PRAISE & REVIEWS

      It   is often said these days that writing is easy and that anybody can do it. And indeed, this is true to a certain extent. But I think we all know what easy writing looks like. It requires very little from the writer to create and next to nothing from the reader to consume. It also leaves the reader feeling somewhat empty. If she requires more nourishment than our dear reader will have to look elsewhere. Fortunately for us, there are poets like Constance Patrick who fearlessly open their hearts for us all to see, and in so doing we feel our hearts opened too. This is where the courage in writing lies, and putting words to paper that ring this true requires an immense amount of it.

To see this courage in action we need look no further than one of the fine poems in this new collection, Deep in the Holding On. Here, the protagonist's heart has been torched and blackened by the outflow of a former partner's sadistic anger. Yet stillshe holds on--to love notes carelessly worded, to receipts for cruises, and to memories of nights in Paris and Rio. The pain of 'holding on' is visceral, and evident in the tortured prose.
 

​By way of contrast, Pretty Words feels light as a feather, an homage to pure love, the lovers embrace witnessed by stars and untouchable galaxies. Yet that title seems to undercut the purity of the message, tempering it with a world-weary point of view-until we come to the third stanza and realize with relief that the pretty words are of the kind and gentle variety, unspoken, and messaged from the soul. The heavenly firmament plays a big role in this collection, with titles like Stars, and Star-falls, and even a Thanks to the Moon. I am a deep lover of the search for cosmic meaning and am grateful for this imagery, for where else can we look but to the sky in our desire to unravel some of these mysteries?​

Paul Longstaffe, Founder of Western Edge Writers, Los Angeles, CA

Constance Patrick’s poems are a snapshot of human emotions and life experiences that provoke thought and leave an imprint. Each poem is masterful in its ability to create a scene for the reader to journey through and relate to their own life. Constance's depth of knowledge of each poetic form she uses, shows a genuine love and respect for her craft with every word.

Nicole Kroll, Operations Manager and Consultant, Lafayette, LA

Constance’s natural gift is her mastery of images. She paints images in her poetry that are so vivid the reader is left with powerful pictures. And these pictures elicit feelings that often run quite deep. Reading her poems become emotional experiences.

Janie Rian, Retired Therapist/Social Worker, Writer

Constance speaks from real life experience and is a master of forms leading her to a unique ability to creatively draw the reader into a vividly portrayed moment. She has been an inspiration to me from the beginning of my poetry writing, her encouragement and direction has led me into the writing of poetry and I can easily say that I've found my voice because of her ability to gracefully teach and support.

Nancy Ruby, Artist and Poet, Sedona, AZ

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