Whispers of Death by Ronald Kihali

A cup of hot cardamom tea and beautiful poetry, life doesn’t get better than this.

I bought Ronald Kihali’s book today not sure what to expect, except that it looked great based on the large number of positive reviews. I found myself so pleasantly surprised!

A book to be savored again and again

This is a book to be savored again and again. Instead of simply reading through the entire book of poems in one go, I found myself coming back to it many times to enjoy Ronald’s beautiful poetry.

Through his thought-provoking poems, Ronald bubbles up images and emotions from deep within our hearts, encouraging us to pause and reflect on our ephemeral life. While in the first reading, the poems appear so poignant (e.g. “The World Loved None”), as we read with greater concentration we realize that the sharp edges of Ronald’s poetry clean out our thoughts and allow optimism to come forth.

Though the name, “Whispers of Death” at first glance sounds as if the focus was on sadness, the real focus is on humanitarian values by helping us realize the transitory nature of our presence.

The overall theme of the book is a sincere wish for a more compassionate world where sufferings of all creatures are washed away. One of my favorite poems in this book is “The World Be,” in which Ronald Kihali wishes he had the power to shower happiness in the world.

Conclusion

Ronald Kihali’s book of poems, “Whispers of Death” is a beautiful addition to my library. Some cosmetic touches such as formatting and better fonts would make the book even easier to read, however these are minor issues. The work itself is masterful. As a poet Ronald is a master at evoking our deeper feelings, directing our attention to the more important things in life.