By: Paul Kiritsis 
Publisher: iUniverse.com 
Publication Date: March 2009 
ISBN: 978-1440124495 
Reviewed by: Lauren E. Victor 
Review Date: June 1, 2009 

Paul Kiritsis surely has traveled the depths of his soul to create his latest poetry collection, Fifty Confessions. For the reader who does not shy away from the dark corners of the human condition and from the exposure of raw emotion, Fifty Confessions will probably be appealing.

Quite bravely, Kiritsis leads the book with a confession in itself, sharing his personal crisis filled with serious physiological debilitation. The allopathic medical profession could not provide him with any diagnoses to his ailments, with most doctors decreeing him in good health, suggesting that perhaps his subconscious was merely running him down. Each poem unravels a thread of his internal suffering, perhaps therapeutic to his own healing process and even comforting to those who face similar demons.

As we travel the depths of his troubles, we experience a beautiful interweaving of Greek mythology, modern day life, dreams and nightmares. From pleas:

Have mercy 
Upon me, Lord,
For no amount 
Of faults 
Deserves a punishment 
That is this 
Time-battered vessel 
I reside in. 

To often harsh analyses of others that brim with truth:

There’s some fungal megalomania 
Growing in your cerebral cortex; 
Don’t get too ahead of yourself.
Your strings are being pulled 
By significant others, 
And you’ll only ever shine 
For as long as the brain police so desire!

Without a doubt, Kiritsis writes poetry with intensity. His intimate words can jump off the page in moments like this when:

I scream and scream, 
And nobody will believe me 
When I tell them 
What it’s like for a blind man 
To finally see without seeing 
And come to grips 
With spiritual madness, 
Which will be 
The mainstream common sense 
And ruin of the world some day. 

Fifty Confessions can jump around quite a bit, leaving us to catch up to the next thought. The collection will not appeal to everyone; don’t pick it up if you want a flowing river that sparkles of nature or love poems. But it probably will appeal to the minds that enjoy following the twisting paths of word and mind play of dark places, and the balance of ancient myths versus modern day stories.

Quill Says: A dark poetic confessional, raw and intriguing.

For more information on Fifty Confessions, please visit the author's website at: Paul Kiritsis.com.

Author Interview