The Door at the End of Everything is a collection of poems written by Lynda Monahan. These poems will pull at your heartstrings, and bring tears to your eyes, but they will also bring you hope. Written in author Monahan’s unique style each poem will bring something unique to the table, but there will definitely be ones that will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading.
The Door at the End of Everything will first draw the reader’s eye with its dynamic cover. Soaring across the cover of The Door at the End of Everything readers will first notice a flock of red birds. They appear to be starlings but don’t quote us on that. LOL! They are atop a compilation of image squares varying in size. The squares range in color from white to black with some having a range of colors on them that could almost be interpreted as pictures.
The cover of The Door at the End of Everything could be interpreted as the following: the squares and images scattered throughout the background could be the “chaos” signifying the struggles of mental illness. The birds taking flight across the cover and scattering in every direction could easily symbolize the hope of once again being able to take flight and find happiness. At least, that is this reviewer’s interpretation.
The Door at the End of Everything is broken up into four parts. Each section has its own collection of poems that bring a sense of uniqueness to their respective parts. The poems found in The Door at the End of Everything vary in length. Some poems will be short, while others will be longer as they have more of a story to tell.
Each of the poems in The Door at the End of Everything speaks its own tale. Some will tell stories of heartbreak, the struggle with painful memories, while others will show glimmers of hope…the promise of a better tomorrow.
Author Monahan captures the elements of depression and the struggle that it bears down on individuals in several of the poems found in The Door at the End of Everything. The most poignant of those concerning the struggle of depression is titled “all the names.” Readers who have struggled with depression when reading this particular poem will quickly find themselves relating to author Monahan’s writing.
There will be several stand-out poems in this collection of poetry. Readers will find poems that reflect on various struggles that a family went through. A mother who was sick and the impact that it had on a child who took on the task of caring for them. This particular poem in The Door at the End of Everything is especially heartbreaking. This poem is quickly followed by another where you read where the roles are reversed. These particular poems will truly pull at your heartstrings.
Of course, The Door at the End of Everything isn’t just sadness and the struggles that it impacts upon us and those struggling with mental illness. There are also poems like “the simple things” that pay homage to individuals who may not have been the “best” at certain things, but it was the “simple” things that ended up meaning the most.
Readers will find that the poems found in The Door at the End of Everything vary in length and pacing. Each poem is unique in this aspect of its structure. There isn’t a rhyming pattern to be found within these poems. That by no means detracts from the poems and the stories that they tell.
The poems in The Door at the End of Everything shine a spotlight on the reality of depression, the struggles of mental illness, and how no matter what someone may be struggling with…the world just keeps on spinning. There is no better indication of this than the poem titled – “at that moment (for Joy).”
This particular poem will stand out for many who have lost a loved one and felt like the world should stop and mourn with them. However, the truth of the matter is that the world just kept on turning. People continued to live their lives completely oblivious to the suffering that we were experiencing at that moment.
Poetry is open to interpretation, this fact is widely understood. However, if we had to give this collection of poems one critique it would be this – While some of the poem’s subjects are easy to understand, others are not so much. It would have been nice to know what exactly author Monahan was speaking about in those moments.
“At that moment (for Joy)” is a poem of sadness, but it is also a poem that reminds us not to take for granted each moment of a day. You just never know what a day may bring, and this particular poem in The Door at the End of Everything gives readers a double meaning to think and reflect on.
Readers looking for a unique voice in the realm of poetry author Monahan is someone worth checking out. Her collection of poetry – The Door at the End of Everything is insightful, poignant, and sure to pull at your heartstrings. Some of these poems will bring tears to your eyes. It’s okay though, because there will be others that will free your heart to soar on wings of hope much like the birds found on the cover.
Pros:
- Heartfelt
- Engaging
- Beautifully written
- The dynamic range of subjects
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 
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