Life is not one journey but several in which we try to provide for others and ourselves. The author of this collection, Mary Arwen Wood, has recorded many of her journeys and observations through poetry and personal narratives while living in the disparate regions of Oahu, Hawaii and Waterloo, Iowa. Recurring themes mentioned in the subtitle (loss, impermanence, beauty, dreams) are analyzed through relationships, nature and contemplation. Indeed, poetry is contemplation not of things as we would have them be, but as they are. This is eloquently presented in the poems Pieta, Resumption of Silence and Unanswered, describing the loss of loved ones in body and time. Other poems, such as Formation in Reprise and Pantoum (Untitled), describe how people and nature change over time through the concept of impermanence. Dreams are used throughout the book, and this is not surprising given their effects on creation, consolidation of thoughts and imagery. Nevertheless, this work is not intended for idle dreamers but rather for active learners engaged in studying the relationships between beauty, separations and nature.Hawaiian nature is presented in colorful ways, evoking iridescent thoughts that change with the tides. Once absorbed through self-reflection, words will have different meanings for individual readers. Mary Arwen uses colors to poetically paint various landscapes which are destined to either consolidate or separate. There is a synesthetic quality to her work, in which colors can be used as metaphors for personal relationships ever changing. This imagery is complemented by photographs scattered throughout the text. Beauty is represented as purely observing life's simplicities, since complexities often distract from true beauty. The book finishes with three narratives, including The Dream Stone which exquisitely explains the lack of identity that can accompany a child who has been adopted. One story which may best exemplify the entirety of the collection would be Frail, Fading Dream Things, incorporating images of the ocean, youth, growth, dreams, friendships, and self-reflection. Truly an eye-opening book, Iridescent Journeys is intended to stimulate inquiry in its readers during their own never-ending journeys.
