Okay, but not great. Poetry is not something I find easy to read and understand. And this was no different. In addition, I didn't appreciate all of the inspiration and discussion filler between the poems themselves.

Owen Bryan Jr. reflects wisely on life and the world. I appreciated this author’s detail and viewpoint.

Clearly a personal project, as I guess all poetry is, Observation of the Moment reads less like poetry and more like motivational doctrine set out in poetic form. Each poem is followed by notes and references (usually songs) covering what inspired the poem. In truth, I found little in these messages that couldn't be gleaned from a good Google session on self improvement. This is not to belittle the writer's personal battle with clinical depression, but there's a certain bluntness to the language used here that suggests more editing or at least appreciation of a wider world view could benefit his poetry going forward.

There are several references to religion, which immediately puts me off, as well as some sexist language (eg. "man against man"). I'm also pretty sure "whom self" just cannot be gotten away with, even in poetry!

What I am saying is that these could have been reworded in much more eloquent ways and this would have elevated these poems from an obvious self-published job to one worthy of notice by an established publisher. Overall, I just found this too cliched to be enjoyable, though I wish the author all the best in his desire to become a motivational speaker.

The poetry was solid. It didn't really resonate with me but I could see it being a hit for a wide range of individuals. My biggest critique is the format. I wished that the afterwards and notes on the poems weren't where they were (I would have preferred footnotes or an appendix). I think it would have made more space for me to interpret and make meaning on my own. It is apparent that this is a deeply personal project to the author though and for that reason the book is beautiful.

Lovely collection of poems and analysis as well. I liked the backstory around it too. Thank you for providing me with a copy!