New Review of Paternity

Here is a new review of Paternity. This one was written by Bud Caywood and published in the Taylorsville Times on February 3. My thanks to Bud and The Taylorsville Times

Book Review
Paternity
Main Street Rag


People who love this world, who pay attention, are poets. Because poetry is not just about writing. Poetry is about cherishing. And to cherish, one must be present in life. Scott Owens’ previous book of poetry, A Fractured World, was written to sustain a regenerative force inward, a personal witness to a troubling generation. In his newest work Paternity, Owens draws that force back out and finds solace in fatherhood. In this moving collection of poems, Scott Owens is at his most introspective. His poetry is fine and deep; it reads like a blessing. His special sharing is to connect us with our feelings in his paternal world. Paternity completes a cycle in the context of his two collections. Here he has moved from the inside world of examining his history to the gentle yet powerful territory of being a parent and then celebrates memory with discipline—“I think of things I missed in my own childhood: / a father’s gentle reminder, the chance to try, / to help, to think that maybe I could.”…and then… “And even as you hold them up, / you have to be careful you’re not / holding them back.” The poems are controlled, yet dense with emotion. They are clearly located in a real world, but pay attention to cherished moments. Paternity enchants the reader with the experiences of fatherhood, the purity of love, and the glow of children’s imagination brightening life.

Bud Caywood