Customer Reviews:

• Connie Marcum Wong, poetess, wife, mother and service-oriented person, is filled with love, humanity and wisdom, attributes which are vividly displayed in her writing. Her chapbook is illustrated with a scattering of family pictures, and many of the poems in Island Creations are sweet, sentimental tributes not only to her family members but also to her other loves such as places of nature she has visited, particularly her ancestors’ Ireland and her place of residence, Hawaii. Because the many aspects of nature figure so prominently into Connie’s poetry, I will give excerpts from some of her nature poems depicting her use of figurative language. In “Seasonal Crackling” she writes of “Blossoms of brilliant yellow Shower trees” whose blooms “fall . . . like golden snow.” In “Myrrah’s Tears” appears this beautiful phrase explaining the legend of Adonis’ mother: “Your mother’s golden tears from all her tortured pain fall slowly from her limbs like heavy-laden drops of rain.” In “Bodega Bay” she describes waves splashing “against charcoal colored rocks that lie in scattered clumps hugging the summer shoreline leaving white foam that quickly disappears as steadfast rocks prepare for their next embrace.” One of my most favorite of her nature poems, “Divine Wind,” has as its title the metaphor for the Japanese Kamikaze that bombed Pearl Harbor. “Amber Sol” is my favorite of her several poems about the sun. And in “African Dawn “ she stunningly portrays nature under a warming summer sky.

The depth of Connie’s wisdom is displayed in such poems as “Contrary Lovers,” in which she writes of one of the lessons she is on earth to learn, that of accepting people despite their flaws or in “A Divine Sign,” in which she likens one of her many interests, sign language, to “the language of love.” One more example is “A Broken Heart,” which speaks of our need to give our souls to nature’s “quiet beauty” in order to feel “a warm loving feeling of universal belonging.” and to heal. Connie also writes with deep emotion about her love of poetry and of her fellow poets. In “Magic of the Bard,” she writes of the joy she feels “when a poem so touches my heart that it hastens tears to stain smiling cheeks, and leaves me a little breathless, with a desire of wanting more.” In her book are two poems dedicated to deceased friend and poet, Pranit Bhasin, and other of her poems concern her reflecting on life through poetry, my very favorite being “A Poet’s View.”

The last three pages of Island Creations extol the beauty of scenic spots over which Connie has flown during her many years as a flight attendant. Each small poem depicts a vista she saw during a specific month of the year, adding up to a total of twelve gems to conclude this charming chapbook." - Andrea Dietrich, Poetry Editor - SP Quill Quarterly Magazine

• "I have just finished reading this delightful chapbook, and wanted to say how much I enjoyed the poetry inside. The author Connie Marcum Wong reaches into the depth of her heart to compose some rich fabric of imagery in her work. She covers topics that are close to her heart such as her family, nature and the environment, spiritual matters, and all that goes to make up the depth of this wonderful lady. I never tire of reading the poetry as to read it, is to learn about a very caring individual, and a very creative one too and special one also. I highly recommend this book." - Yvonne Sparkes

• "Island Creations is simply beautiful, taking the reader on an inspirational journey through the life, travels and passions of the author with a touch of heart and home. I enjoyed every poem throughout this book and look forward to more works by this author." - Joanne Olivieri, Author of Red Lanterns

• "Connie's work is always carefully done, her imagry is magical, and her poems are a delight. I always look for Connie's work in SP Quill, too." - Emily Romano, Author of Thresholds to Haiku and The Ties That Bind

• "Island Creations is the most beautiful chapbook I have encountered. It is beautifully illustrated and inspirationally written. From exhilarating nature experiences to charming family members, the content of Connie's poetry is sure to hold your attention and capture your imagination. Treat yourself to a rare journey amongst Pele's "tiny ebony tears", 'silver moonbeams skinny dipping", and "dreaming of yellow flowers"." - Molly Moore

• "Connie Marcum Wong's award winning poetry has been featured in numerous publications, chapbooks, and collections.  In addition to poetry, her accomplishments are impressive.  She is an Aura Photographer, a Reiki Master/Teacher, a Karuna Reiki Master, and teaches American Sign Language in her spare time.  Her love of family, poetry, art, music, and nature shine through clearly in this beautiful compilation of poems.

This excerpt from "Freedom" describes perfectly Ms. Wong's persona, her thoughts and philosophy:
      Time dwells in this dimension,
      But a soul is free to soar
      To heights unknown,
      Unencumbered by restraints
      Endowed on this earthly plane.

"Reiki Music" communicates the serenity and joy Ms. Wong shares as Master/Teacher.  Readers can feel the serenity, experience the joy, and bask in her peaceful spirit:
      Symbiotic melodies….
      Transparencies of light
      Shimmering from the inner self,
      Levitating to moonbeams bright.
      Hear the chiming bells, their rhythm,
      Serene with every breath inhaled.

      Lie still and dwell within your heaven;
      Psychic mysteries unveiled.
      Heal the heart, repair the soul,
      Release anxieties and strife….
      Penetrate this body's armor,
      Relax your shell to balance life.

"A Divine Sign" takes readers beyond the mere function of American Sign Language, into the spirit of it.  I read this poem through several times, and the first two verses stayed with me:
      The language of love
      Expressed through the hands
      Is felt in the heart...

      These signs convey words,
      And when spoken correctly,
      Display a beautiful art.

In "Poets-at-Large," Ms. Wong speaks eloquently for all poets and poetry lovers everywhere.  Even the most humble of unknown poets can penetrate the heart and spirit with their words.  One need not win a Pulitzer or be named Poet Laureate to impact readers:
      Speak to me in words I understand.
      Don't let pompous attitude embroiled
      With your intellectual narcissism
      Cause you to judge my words with disdain,
      Because I write with veracity and simplicity.

Whether writing rhyming verse, free form, or haiku, Connie Marcum Wong creates equally well.  This chapbook memorializes what Man has not yet plundered of Earth's beauty.  She generously shares her glorious Hawaiian home, her love of family and humans everywhere, and her heart with readers.  Island Creations is a chapbook to be savored." - Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review

• "What an appropriate title for Marcum's chapbook, as Island Creations transports us to so many places and aspects of life, all originating from her vast pool of knowledge and experience as she writes from her home in Hawaii. Many of Marcum's multi-talents are encompassed in her poetry. We read about her Reiki Master background in her poem "Reiki Music:" Lie still and dwell within your heaven; psychic mysteries unveiled, and again in "Chakra Colors:" From the tip of my tail bone to the top of my head, chakras, or colored wheels spin...; her parenting in "Child of Mine:" For there can be no greater joy on earth than raising up a precious child from birth; and her use of sign language in A "Divine Sign": To learn to speak to the deaf brings great joy to one's soul, and to be understood.

One of my favorites, "Angel Eyes," conveys the inspirational and spiritualistic closing phrase:

      I am so thankful that I do not walk alone,
      And so grateful you are there to gently guide me,
      To lead me where you know I best belong.

In "The Mighty Sequoia," we learn of Marcum's awareness and concerns for nature conservation, as we feel this ancient tree's life- force with her compassionate final stanza:

      The grooves in my trunk are plain to see ;
      I am the 3,500-year old "Grizzly Giant" Tree!
      I am as tall as the nation's Statue of Liberty.
      Logging must be stopped; please save me!

This review cannot conclude without a few words about Marcum's extraordinary poem "The Lifeblood of a Poet," which simplifies what poets everywhere are all about, with phrases such as:

      A poet feels with every cell
      That makes up their being.

And ends with these immortal words:

      Let it be with the song of poets
      To cheer me, thrill me, and leave
      My heart beating with the rhythm
      Of the poet's prose or rhyme;
      Their words carried me throughout time.

In this small sampling of Marcum's Island Creations, I hope I have conveyed some of the joy and insight you can expect from this remarkable poet, who generously enjoys sharing her many faceted life experiences with us all." - Jan Turner