Multiverse is an apt title that encompasses the obvious and the abstract aspects of B. A . O ’ C o n n e l l's collection of brief notes on myriad spiritual experiences! Crafted, with references to Biblical incidents, the chapter book (chapbook) is in a free verse style, mostly thoughts weaved as words.

From expressing the anguish of birth, separation, love, longing, and the ever burden of growing thoughts and emotions that separate the human from the creator, the verses evoke incidents from the Holy Scriptures and dress them up in modern interpretations. Be it the scourge of temptation or the thirst for redemption, the poet dwells on the need for blessed salvation. A living person needs a mentor, a dying one may seek isolation, and a born again floats in astral worlds seeking answers to cosmic mysteries. 

Amidst all the chaos of time and travel across the multiverse, the mentor provides answers, reveals secrets hidden in being human, demands trust and feelings, and encourages introspection and intimacy. From fear to loneliness, to lost faith and rise of the Inhuman, to anger and anguish, all is eventually resolved in the guidance of the mentor.

As I read the lines, the emotions of the writer are palpable but I feel they are not organized and need a more textured approach to strengthen the power in the lines. Just as this thought engulfs me, the writer addresses it, explaining why the words may confound, why the thoughts may spill and tumble over each other because they are as free-flowing as the emotions that engulf the writer.

The writer continues to waver between reality and fantasy, sometimes as fragile as a newborn, sometimes stronger than the powers of the creator. My takeaway from this pocketbook of verses is that the mind remains the crucible of creation, the soul is the eternal traveler, and the heart must surrender to the two, swaying between Gods and monsters! My favorite lines are in the piece: Afterthought One: Born Again while I was instantly pulled into this work from the first few lines.

All in all, the style and the invocation in this short book are worthy of the little time it takes to read it cover to cover. The disconnected meanderings may make you pause as you try to find some rhythm, and that may be the intent - pause, reflect, read again! As a reader, I understand that the bulk of the work lies in returning to it and reinterpreting it to feel the depth of faith and feelings, as relates to oneself. As a side-note, the book may need additional references to understand the Biblical aspects.