Reviews

“Few have the deft touch for poetry as does C.S. Fuqua. He is not shackled by the bonds of rhyme, but is instead freed by the words of our language, each word, each phrase, each sentence weaving a complete story in just a few lines. This is what poetry is supposed to be, and it is exactly that in the mind of a good poet like Fuqua. He sees it all, and all at once. Take for example the phrase in the poem “Cabinet”: “…doing her damnedest to reach the bug spray.” In this last phrase of one of his introductory poems we see the oncoming future of Fuqua and his daughter as he devotes his life to keeping her safe. In the poem, “The Chant,” we have the phrase, “She sees skin as a rainbow.” The personality of his daughter is there in that one short phrase. The rest of the words beautifully support, but this one short phrase tells us everything we need to know about his beloved daughter. Sometimes Fuqua reaches for a beautiful image in a full sentence, like in the poem, “Tokyo Fabric”: “He nods at my daughter, reflecting her grin, the cat purring like soft forest rain, the universe melting under those fingers, that fur, that sound.” Fuqua says he loves poetry because it’s a challenge to write a complete story in a poem. You will read many short stories in Fatherhood.” ~ Dick Claassen ~ Author of Sacred Native American Flute

“Fatherhood is a wonderful collection of short, evocative poems detailing a father’s thoughts and feelings about his daughter, from before her arrival to after her leaving home and into the future.
There are moments of deep reflection and sadness and also love, joy and humour. A beautifully balanced series of dips into a beloved child’s life that will resonate with any parent… even if you happen to be a Mom and not a Dad.” ~ Y S Hintz ~ Artists & Author of Half Horse—the Quinolan Qhronicles.

“There’s a beautifully composed realness that shapes C.S. Fuqua’s poetry. I revelled in his language and storytelling. I want to gift this book to all my friends and family who are new parents, older parents and all future parents, because this is about life and love. It is a layered journey and Fuqua brings us into his unique, somewhat familiar ‘home’ through poetry that we can dwell in.” ~ Laura Kerr, Canadian Artist & Poet

“The power of C.S. Fuqua’s poetry lies in the relentless chronicling of real people with real sorrow, triumph, regret, and above all, the sad beauty of the human experience. Superb poetry from American poet and musician, C.S. Fuqua.” ~ Tony Nesca, Author of About A Girl

Fatherhood by C.S. Fuqua is a lyrical journal of child-rearing from tragedy of miscarriage to a difficult birth through childhood. Fuqua shares the growth and molding of this parent/child relationship focusing on the joy of watching his daughter become her own person, tinged with the sad knowledge that she will eventually leave him. “When the Bird Has Flown”  sums it up nicely: “Rushing through the moments, / the forgettable and the milestones, / sprinting headlong from one / to the next, / and the next, / unaware of loss, / no pause to consider or savor, / centered instead / on what mysteries lie ahead, / always ahead…” Recommended.” ~ M. Scott Douglass, Publisher/Managing Editor The Main Street Rag, author of Just Passing Through  (Paycock Press, 2017)

“C.S Fuqua’s transcendent verses encapsulate the many moods and dispositions of ‘fatherhood.’ His reflections are compelling, affecting, witty and tender. A recommended read for the expectant father.”— Ali Kinteh, author of The Nepenthe Park Chronicles

“Though I’ve read Christopher Fuqua’s horror stories and listened to his haunting melodies on the Native American flute, he displays another side to his soul in the poetry found in his collected poems on fatherhood. Through touching snippets he exposes the heartbreak of the miscarriages he and his wife endure in their efforts to birth a child. Then, when a pregnancy finally takes, his poetry blossoms with the growing bond between father and daughter, the eternal struggle to support, yet let her fail. Swing me, Dad! Swing me high! moving into her first day of school, her first solo ride on an escalator. These poems will resonate with every parent, maybe even bring a tear to their eye.” — Suanne Schafer, author of Hunting the Devil