The Light Within is a different compilation of original illustrated verse from Isle of Wight poet Lynn New. Experience the poetry of spiritual inspiration in a beautiful A4 size hardback book with all pages illustrated and in full colour.
Whilst implicitly Christian in content, The Light Within also offers its readers musings on universal themes such as love, hope and appreciation of what we have around us, complemented by beautiful hand-painted illuminations.
The poems ‘Each Step’, ‘Tailor-made’ and 'Pages Through Ages' advise the reader that our paths are already laid out before us, each one personalised and different, and to go against what feels natural is ultimately wrong. ‘The River’s Story’ displays a similar message, using a river as a metaphor:
“Go with the current of your life,
Flow and think of me.
Though bounded by my bordered banks
I am forever free.”
‘Devoted Mother’ explores the relationship between mother and child and how the love we experience in our early lives is key to our development as human beings.
Lynn dedicates ‘Remembered’ to the hundreds of thousands killed during the Great War, encasing the verses within borders of poppies, doves and gravestones, imploring us to remember the dead, particularly those who died for our freedom.
'The Balance' concerns just that: the balance of opposites in our lives. We have to experience the bad to appreciate the good and we should not expect to go through life without some serious hardships along the way. They are there for good reason: to help us grow.
Of course, some poems more overtly thank God for his work, from the beauty of nature in ‘Meadow Moments’ to the feeling of companionship one experiences in a relationship with Jesus in ‘Protected’. Lynn also writes her own entreaty to God in ‘My Prayer’, asking for the strength and courage to face the everyday.
Whether Christian or not, The Light Within has a lot to offer the reader, from the uplifting positivism of the verses themselves, to the bright and cheery watercolour illustrations and beautiful calligraphy. The book itself is a visual treat, bound in a deep, ink-blue cover, with high-quality textured pages.
Each of the thirty-three poems is an escape from the materialism of everyday life and allows the reader to appreciate the simpler, basic human characteristics of hope, love and humility.
