Review of EndlesS

(My good friend Gloria Williams wrote the following review of EndlesS, my first collection of poetry. My thanks to her for allowing me to post it here. It is also posted on her blog Wry Words.)

By Gloria Williams

I received an advance copy of EndlesS, a collection of poems by Stephen B. Bagley. While I’m a fan of Stephen’s writings – particularly his humor and his mysteries – I’m not a fan of poetry. Still, I had enjoyed the poems on his blog so when he asked if I wanted to read an advance copy and review it, I decided to take the chance.

What an unexpected little book of treasures! The poems cover emotions from joy to sorrow to passion to bitterness to grief to rebirth. I particularly liked “Creationsong” and “Quicksilver,” two decidedly religious poems that surprised me with their joy and power, respectively. “Last Poem For Jenny” has to be one of the most touching poems I’ve ever read, and “Endless,” the title poem, is simply stunning, particularly its last line. “Passion” is certainly passionate as the writer reveals a love in his life and has to be one of the sexiest poems ever.

Not that the poems shy away from the dark events of life. “Non-Communion” is a strong, unflinching look at divorce, and “Hush” gives us the multiple stories of people that society would like to ignore. I wouldn’t have liked to have been the subject of “Dismissal” or the recipient of “You & Me.”

EndlesS also takes a look at the end of the world (“No One Expected It to Happen”), the lure of a mermaid (“Undertow”), paganism (appropriately titled “Pagan”), the marriage problems of a Native American couple (“Wounded Needs”), and many other subjects.

The poems are clear and understandable even on first reading, but as I re-read the poems to write this review, I was impressed and intrigued by the hidden meanings that occurred to me. All in all, EndlesS is full of riches that even a person not fond of poetry will enjoy and a poetry lover will be thrilled by it. I highly recommend it.

(EndlesS will go on sale June 1st exclusively at Lulu.com)