IF I KNEW THE WAY I WOULD TAKE YOU HOME

Akley lays bare his perspective on a wide variety of topics in these free-verse poems.

Writing is a central focus here; the author opens with a poem about the importance of writing for oneself, emphasizing that “the words come when you forget everybody else.” He grapples with alcohol and cannabis use while writing, wondering which is better for his train of thought in “the format won’t let me try something different.” Family is also a throughline in the collection. The author praises his 16-year-old daughter’s work ethic and enthusiasm at her new Dairy Queen job. His younger daughter, Bell, is “the passionate one” and a budding artist who takes after her father. Akley expresses “faith in their future / despite this depressing world.” His ex-wife is frequently mentioned but less developed. At times, Akley hints at the dissolution of their marriage in lines like, “it becomes about money / when you don’t have it.” Religious critique arises in poems like “easter at the zoo,” in which the poet juxtaposes religion with animal captivity. The book concludes with a sprawling poem exploring the author’s thoughts and feelings about his relationship with his father, raising his daughters, their educations, his own regrets, and influential musicians like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. This freewheeling poetry collection expounds on everything from personal relationships to cultural criticism to creative expression. The stream-of-consciousness style and unruly structure, however, dilute the poems’ impact. The cynical tone in lines like, “the sooner you learn / nobody is going / to help / the less shit / you have to take” undercuts the speaker’s sincerity. The author’s candor is one of the book’s strengths; the poems read like a monologue from your favorite barfly (or an aspiring Bukowski). Akley’s passion for literature is apparent in lines like, “that moment you connect / with a book you’re reading / and it’s like you’re sharing.”

An honest, unfiltered poetry collection that could benefit from further refinement.