DOVE LOVE

A faith-filled poetry collection that draws from the Bible to relate teachings of the Christian church.

Many poems here use a recurring image of a dove to illustrate the Holy Spirit, but Dixon also pens poems such as “Waving Palm Fronds” and “Christmas Eve,” which retell moments from the story of Jesus. Most of the works here, however, draw on more personal concerns. “One Shoe on the Highway,” for example, tells of the sad loss of a child in a car accident and is followed by several poems about grief and the pain of outliving one’s kids. “Our Great Nation” is a straightforwardly patriotic tribute to the United States that kicks off a series of poems celebrating specific locations, mostly in the southern part of the country. Every poem, regardless of subject, is followed by a passage from the Bible to drive home the author’s intent. Some poems drop hints about their origins, but remain unspecific, preventing readers from making a clear connection to events in the author’s life. Overall, this collection will provide devout Christians with enjoyment, but it likely won’t appeal to secular audiences. The religious teachings are familiar ones, although more progressive Christians might be rankled by “Run to Love,” whose old-fashioned approach to romance (“go his way”) won’t mesh with many modern marriages. Although the collection lacks a table of contents, it follows an intuitive throughline, satisfactorily grouping common subjects together. The style of Dixon’s poetry is technically fine but somewhat repetitive, as the poems’ meters lack variety.

An often personal set of verses that are best suited to observant Christians.