Book Review: All the Words Are Yours: Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson

Summary: 

Every day for the past six years, Tyler Knott Gregson has written a simple haiku about love, and posted it online. These heartfelt poems have attracted a large and loyal following around the world. This highly anticipated follow-up to Chasers of the Light, presents Tyler’s favorites, some previously unpublished, accompanied by his signature photographs, which capture the rich texture of daily life.

This vibrant collection reveals the intimate reflections of one of poetry's most popular new voices -- honest, vulnerable, generous, and truly present in the gift that is each moment.

Release Date: October 20, 2015

Age Group: Adult

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed By: Kelli

Review:

I was excited to read All the Words Are Yours because I enjoyed Tyler's first book, Chasers of the Light so much.  I'm pleased to announce that All the Words Are Yours was even more heartfelt and emotional than its predecessor.

I'm not the world's biggest haiku fan, but I loved this book.  I sometimes feel a lack of depth in such short poems, but this was not the case here.  Tyler's poems are deeply meaningful and beautiful in their brevity.  Most of the poems are about love relationships but there are others about life in general.  Some of my favorite poems:

"What is bravery//If not the marching forward//though all may be lost?"

"All we have endured//Will make us invincible.//From the fire comes strength."

"I will stand in awe//At everything you've become,//All you've endured."

"Just keep waking up//dragging yourself out of bed.//It will get better."

Aren't those so beautiful?  I felt like Tyler was speaking to me personally.  Maybe that's why I keep wanting to call him Tyler throughout this review instead of by his last name like I usually do.  

Besides the poetry, All the Words Are Yours is a visual treat as well.  Tyler is a photographer and took all of the pictures for this book.  Many of the pages feature a poem hand-written on a note card by Tyler and photographed in different settings.  Those pages were my favorite.  I loved seeing his handwriting and the creativity of where and how he placed the cards for each image.  Other pages have typeset poems with pictures that Tyler took. Those pages were also beautiful.  

This book is one to keep out on your coffee table and page through a little at a time.  I sat down and read it all at once, but I can see myself picking it back up and reading a few pages here and there, just appreciating the beauty of the entire book.  I highly recommend All the Words Are Yours.