BookView Review

Russell’s latest work is a tender excavation of identity, ego, and the illusions that unravel in the wake of spiritual seeking. The first section, “Reflecting,” is rooted in self-awareness and the quiet unraveling of early spiritual misconceptions. In “cultured,” he describes his past self as one who “found the way. / the way. / and, of course, it was the best way.” In the standout poem “trying so hard,” he writes: “i have conquered mountains/ of inner turmoil./ emotions no longer rule my being./ i am beyond the tribulations/ of flesh and bone.” 

The second section, “The Dark Night of the Soul,” is where the collection deepens—emotionally, spiritually, and narratively. He captures the essence of the “dark night” in a poem of the same name: “i thought the addictions were gone./ the small self, the low vibrations—/ shouldn’t they have disappeared?” In “written in blood,” a medical diagnosis forces him to reckon with how he has neglected his body in pursuit of soul-care. He writes, “perhaps it was time to burn the treasured loot / of my once-cherished home.”  The final section, “Architect of Enlightenment,” shifts again. Here, the voice is gentler, more integrated. In “this is it,” Russell writes: “freedom lies/ within the silence of the heart,/  and the absence of the ego.” The book ends not with declarations, but with invitations. The closing poems reflect a commitment to community and presence rather than perfection.

In a genre often filled with certainties and prescriptive wisdom, the book stands out for its humility. Flawed, questioning, beautiful, and becoming.

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