“Passages & Paths – A Journey of Life through Poetry,” is filled with the prose and poetry of Dorinda Duclos whose love of nature and of the world of make-believe makes this collection shine.

Nature poetry is my favorite. If an author can make me see the world from their perspective, my poetic reading experience is greatly enhanced. The author accomplishes that and more. Her cadenced prose often rhymes in just the right spot, allowing the reader to sense a more profound meaning by the encounter with the verse.

I found many of these poems were filled with the word images and magic of dragons, fair maidens, and things that have no earthly explanation. I also sensed that this anthology of poems brings the reader closer to the places the author holds dear.

My favorite poem, “The Enchanted Spell,” read like a fairy tale. This poem shares the story of a young woman searching the woods at night for her lost love with the help of her lantern and her owl. The flow of the writing is magical and ethereal. There’s a great twist at the ending, which made this poem a real stunner.