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"Book" Looks like it is going to be an interesting book.

"Love Poetry" Well crafted, captures the subject well. I enjoyed the poems I read. I would have liked to see more in the preview though. Keep up the good work. Youi use the language well. 5 Stars

"A Painful Journey Through A Woman's Life"
Ten Years Running is more than just a collection of poems by Mary Johnsen, it is the journey through a woman's life. It is not an easy journey but rather one filled with pain and anguish. The majority of the poems deal with the author's painful relationship with a man who seems to ignore her and cause her endless pain, yet she can never quite bring herself to end the destructive relationship.

Amidst these poems are other life moments, such as the fear of raising a child and the loss of a parent. I found these little life snippets to be even more touching to me than the greater story of the painful relationship.

I won't give... More > away the ending, for the collection id far more interesting if read as a story through a life rather than a collection of unrelated poems.

On the technical side, aside from one typo the book seemed professionally laid out and free of glaring errors. With poetry grammar can be on the elastic side, so I won't try to grade that. The earlier poetry is more free form and lacking in rhyme or meter while the later entries seem to strive for rhyme and an even flow. I am not a fan of free verse poetry, so was glad to see the growth of the author in this direction, and perhaps in the case of of the overall story this could help to convey the chaos of her life coming to order.

I do wish that every poem had a title, as many of them are labeled UNTITLED and this makes it feel either rushed or lazy. Perhaps if the author does not wish to give them titles she should simply remove the UNTITLED reference.

The cover seems to be an image that in no way relates to the book and rather detracts from it. I would suggest finding a more appropriate cover.

A felt a few of the poems seemed to be in an odd order to be telling the story of someone's life, as they seemed chronologically out of place with what was going on, but they may very well be in perfect chronological order and this is just an impression I received.

All in all the author does have many good turns of phrase, and the overall story is a good, if not always pleasant one. If you are a fan of poetry and feel you would enjoy reading about a woman's struggle with the pains of her heart during her life's journey then you may very well enjoy Ten Years Running. < Less

"The Rebecca Review- A Journey to Hope and Peace through Shadows"
Reviewer: Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Issaquah, WA) - (top ten reviewer on Amazon.com)




"I am leaving... I am leaving

for I'd love you if I stayed."



Mary Johnsen's poetry reveals beautiful longings for a soul mate or a father figure who will solve conflicts and create a nurturing environment where she can relax into a calming secure harbor from her inner storms.



Tormented by an inner world of loneliness, Mary seeks to fill the empty space in her heart with the love of men who seem to provide a taste of what she truly wants, but never give her the full all encompassing... More > feeling of love she desires and deserves.



As a hopeless romantic, the sheer depth of longing Mary Johnsen describes expresses so much of the unspoken human condition. Her honesty sweeps through you like a cleansing wave of emotion as her unique poetic style encourages personal reflection.



"Tell Me How You Feel" has a striking ending with creative appeal. In "Hiding," we become aware of the source of the poets pain. She seeks connection and yet finds herself in a situation where she can't win for losing.



"You rage at me

to speak my mind

yet make it quite impossible

at times

to do anything

but hide there."



"Awakening" explores the way a poet emerges from pain to embrace a sweet submission of the heart to a power greater than herself as she says: "please...don't give up on me." This cry of the heart echoes throughout many of the poems, but then there are quite a few poems that present a variety of emotions and poetic styles.



In "Children," a beautiful rhythm leads you through a poem that feels more like a song:



"A rhythm beats on inside of me

that only I can hear

Never can stop believing

in dreams I hold so dear

we all are only children

searching for the answers

we all are only children after all"



"Culinary Dreams" is a poem mingling the love of cooking with the love of connection. It is quite a creative exploration of friendship. "Memories" introduces a feeling of love and completion as the poet is reminded of "the blueness of your eyes."



Through revelations of her life, secrets are revealed and reality finds its place on the pages of a journey to hope. The first poems express the depths of emotional conflict and the end of the book reveals how Mary Johnsen finds the love she has always longed for in this life.



Ten Years Running is a journey of a beautiful soul expressed in 93 poems. Mary Johnsen's heart awakens to the life she always dreamed could be possible. As she becomes more aware of God's love, she embraces an eternal security and gives hope to those who are still in the midst of their own journey of discovery.



~The Rebecca Review < Less

"A delightful read" I have found Mary's 10 Years Running a delightful read. It has been a source of escape and comfort in reading it slowly (just a few a night to make it last). I have found her style to be delightfully free