Comment on this article

A Transit of Venus
by Ed Bennett
18 poems ~ 23 pages,
Price: $15.00
Publisher: The Lives You Touch Publications 
Review by: Karen Schwartz

It has been said there’s much to be valued about honesty, it’s that plain and simple; good poets recognize this, while brilliant poets peel back truth, layer by layer, until there’s nothing left to reveal but the sheer nakedness of the human spirit. 

Edward Bennett’s brilliance is captured throughout his first collection of poetry, A Transit of Venus. The poet’s honesty speaks to the universality of mankind in its purest form. His blunt, “tell it like it is” accounts of life and personal relationships offers the reader insight into the fragility of a sensitive man unafraid to show his vulnerability in matters of the heart. Throughout his collection, Mr. Bennett makes no excuses for love’s shortcomings as best described in "Tryst" when the poet admits, “the first time is never perfect,” reminding us that this can most often be said of anything worthwhile.

Deeply heartfelt, much of the poetry speaks directly to the muse drawing the reader closer into the experience with each impassioned breath. In "Lilly," the poet professes a memory so influential the reader feels the woman’s intensity within his words, “No one knew how the fire of your flesh/ Impressed its meaning into/ Decades of quiet words and looks/ From eyes that gauged a soul,” where love transcends the test of time, an ever growing and changing dimension, until its depth can be measured by the mark that it leaves when a loved one dies. Lilly’s death is one of the references that documents such loss and a desire that lives on beyond the people themselves. 

Upon reading A Transit of Venus, it is easily recognized that the poet is indeed an educated and worldly man. His poetry has purpose as he skillfully invites his readers under a poetic umbrella constructed of wisdom and vision shielding us from the harsh realities of life’s shocking tragedies such as terrorism and divorce. 

 In "Kaddish," Mr. Bennett celebrates the Jewish tradition of honouring the loss of a loved one through blessings and a religious ritual other than his own. He offers praise to the Divine as he so eloquently refers to the victims of 911, “Until the day you fell/ a comet in a fractured firmament/ to the burning furnace of/ jet fuel exploding against a glass tower/ absenting love and all of its’ illusions,” in a poem action packed full of history, education and imagery that helps a novice better grasp the heritage and recognize to what degree believers of all faiths can express sympathy to a world struggling to understand. 

From the playful side of affection to the serious side of devotion, in this chapbook, Edward Bennett shares with his readers a diverse view of life’s sensibilities and wonder with artistic talent, truth and perceptive reflection. He makes no apology for not having all the answers when it comes to love producing a work of art I highly recommend for all personal libraries.  

Return to: