Depths of the Soul, written by Elizabeth Diane Daniel. This is Daniel’s second book with Creative Talents Unleashed publishing company.
This book has a very soft and truthful feel to it as you peruse its pages. The author is transparent with her emotions, and it is obvious that she spills her heart onto each page with intention and grace. Throughout the collection, there are some recurring themes: childlike wonder, love, loss, and the difficult realities of being a writer trying to make it in a world of social media.
An excerpt from “I’ll Bring The Matches”:
“Point me in the direction of a soul on fire! And we’ll set this world ablaze!” I really loved this particular poem because it spoke to the author’s longing to find others who are fueled by their passions. The author often writes about yearning for connection and for finding fellow dreamers, for finding those that still look at the world with equal parts wonder and desire to achieve greatness.
Another poem I really enjoyed is “Insta-Lonely” which reads: “Social media, media at our fingertips, fingertips craving to be touched, touched by human hands, hands reaching out in the realm of social media.” The use of repetition here is so well-executed as each line starts with the word that came before and the entire poem begins and ends with the words “social media”.
The underlying message is also such a profound one, as it addresses how easy it is on the surface to connect with one another, but also how much more challenging it is to feel true human connection in the age of social media. Several of our interactions with one another have become shallow and rushed, clicking a “like” button or writing a quick comment on a picture while the genuine human connection gets lost between retweets.
The author has also experienced her fair share of loss, in a heartbreaking and deeply moving piece called “Lasts”
“Last holiday, Mother/Father’s Day, Last bottle of Old Spice wrapped up, next to cherry flavored Swisher Sweets, Last comforting talk between dad and daughter, Last time I felt the leathery touch of his hand, Last memorial weekend, Last goodbye, Sprinkled amongst the finality, is hidden a slither of peace in the form of a child’s cherished birthday, Death and your deceitful ways, you did not completely steal the month of May.”
I loved the raw authenticity of this piece. The author does a tremendous job of interlacing grief with hope in a truthful and poignant description of such a profound loss. This poem is sure to bring a tear to your eye as you are moved by the nature of how things often come full-circle.
Within the collection are also several pieces about the beautiful and life-changing relationship between mother and child. The author also reflects on the importance of maintaining childlike wonder and enchantment in a world where it is so easy to lose sight of magic and beauty.
The author also touches on the subjects of heartbreak and self-worth, discussing how important it is that we don’t sell out in order to find love. She stresses the importance of seeing souls for who they truly are, and not just how they appear from social media or from a more superficial level. She stresses the down-falls of living in a society that is driven so much by outward appearance, and the tragedy that befalls us when we judge others on the exterior.
Another beautiful insight about this book is how the title came to be. Daniel was sitting with her 8-year-old nephew one day discussing how her book was going and asked him what he thought her next book should be called. Unexpectedly, he replied “depths of the soul”, which became the title of this beautiful collection.
I loved that special story and how it feels like it truly tied everything together. The most beautiful and fitting title, as suggested by a child. It goes to show how truly observant children can be and how big their hearts are. It shows the true depths of their soul, and it was a perfect theme and working title for the collection as a whole. This collection is a beautiful reminder to never stop searching for the depth of your soul and the souls of those around you, because that’s where the magic and the beauty has always truly been.
