My Empire Sputters Paperback – April 19, 2023 by Will Reger (Author)

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cyberwit.net (April 19, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 71 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8119228103
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8119228102
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.53 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.18 x 8.5 inches

• Best Sellers Rank: #1,442,926 in Books

I have always been a great fan of Will Reger’s poetry. The carefully constructed lines almost hide the universal sentiments they exude. Some of the seminal themes are compassion and solidarity, which I believe the modern world can essentially benefit from. Reger’s poetry is rich in imagery and the all-important richness of diverse interpretations. This brief analysis capitalizes on reader-response theory, which is bolstered on the notion that the same poem can be differently interpreted by different readers and their unique experiences, knowledge, and emotions.

 I will draw from several poems to spare the reader of potentially ‘ruining’ the reading experience.

 To begin with, what a great title for the collection: My Empire Sputters. The empire, therefore, is alive, but the sputtering indicates brief sounds that could be attributed to a dying empire. The poems contained can give the reader further knowledge of this catastrophe, which, I believe, is the result of man’s own making.

     Imago Mundi is a poem of visual opulence. The very first stanza paints a mundane picture of a child at play. The poem, however, is much deeper than that. The end of the boy’s play can easily be representative of the dying world: “Letting that world of his fall away.” The ultimate takeaway, at least for this reader, is that our actions determine the life of this world.

 The Cardinal is one of my personal favorites. The bird, pecking at its own reflection on the mirror of an abandoned Volvo, is indicative of the destruction we bring upon the earth, which is not even ours to begin with. With only twelve lines, Reger has managed to extrapolate an idea of paramount  importance.

 Shaw’s Garden is a wonderfully necessary poem for this collection. It talks of a garden enclosed in a glass dome, severing it from nature’s nurture. Man has interfered to bring about annihilation, which sadly includes his own demise. The poet’s compassion for these captive plants in unmistakable: “… I can’t help but wonder if they know they are captives.”

 I could write about these gems of wisdom in greater detail, but I believe that would rob the reader of interpreting them based on their own experiences and emotions. I would humbly record, however, that these poems are of greater value than they appear. 

 Personally, as with all Reger’s poetry, they have effectively opened up the world a little more, and my own duty and compassion, even for myself. What I have addressed herein is simply a taste of what My Empire Sputters can add to your world. My world is a little bigger now as is my humanity.

                                                                                                                                      -Lasantha Rodrigo