An understated yet powerful collection of poetry that highlights the importance of leaning on faith in God to get through hard times
Finding My Way: One Man’s Spiritual Quest for the Divine Presence is Marc A. Crowley’s deeply personal exploration of life lived amid faith and all the ups and downs along the way, with several standout poems that are timely far beyond Crowley’s own experience. Crowley is clearly a dedicated poet, and his work, although not the traditional rhyme or structure that might be expected, resonates with feeling, faith, and imagery reflecting the natural beauty of the America’s western states and shores.
Arranged into four sections, Crowley offers a brief introduction that sets the tone for each. The collection arches from possibility to finality. Along the way, Crowley welcomes readers into the most intimate areas of life, including marriage, parenthood, divorce, and death. He weaves in the value of spiritually traveling light, and the grace that forgiveness allows.
It’s not always heavy reading though. Imagining jeweled sunrises, cascading wildflowers and grasses, and wind-swept beaches is easy with Crowley’s vivid poetry. He also takes time to highlight the joys of good books, good wine, and good company and how they function as lifelines in good times and bad.
Thematically, the poems are arranged well and guide the reader along Crowley’s journey in a way that makes sense, chronologically and emotionally. Being able to identify the grace in everyday things is work, especially during times of struggle or hardship, and Crowley makes it look natural. Opening the book with a poem called “Silence” is an invitation to be present and open to what he calls its mercy, and it really is such a wonderful foundation for all the other poems in the collection. Several pieces include nods to other well-known works, from movies to books and writers, illuminating their influence and in effect honoring their work.
Among the highlights is “1. Notes from Another Realm,” which soothes like a balm in these fractured times. “Exodus” and “That Simple Thing to Do” deliver a strong emotional response with the gentlest of words, the kind that makes you want to share the poem with someone else. And “Look Beneath Things” is sure to become a favorite among devout readers for its joyful tone and reminder to see the pleasure outside but also inside a book. Many of Crowley’s works are positioned to be open to the widest interpretations, allowing readers to imprint their own meaning into these poems, a lifeline for stressed modern readers seeking a moment of peace and quiet to read a book that makes them genuinely feel something.
As a whole, Finding My Way offers an encouraging reflection for anyone looking at their life and wondering what comes next. His poems dip into interior everyday concerns as well as existential questions without getting mired in them. Crowley centers the role that quiet faith has in making it through good times and bad without being heavy-handed or preachy. A seamless addition to your TBR pile, poetry fans!
What did you think?