The Book of Lovers

The Book of Lovers

Within your dreams you escape to worlds unknown and hopefully find an ending to your fears, understand them more clearly and become one in the same with your thoughts in a positive way. Each person strives for happiness and hopes that there will be no obstacles standing in their way but life brings them on and within the pages of this poem told in many voices you the reader will understand the voyages you are about to take on as the Prince of a Land has dreamed of his true love hoping to find her, safe her from the harms that she has already had to bear and bring her to his kingdom as his bride. Hear the screams of the Prince from the start as his dream awakens his minions, his disciples and those that are enlisted to protect this young man. Hear their voices echo as they try to comfort him and figure out a way to stop the screams, understand his wishes and decide whether to help further his quest to find the beautiful woman of his dreams. Within his dreams and visions he hears the voice of Ivalisee trapped in the Sphere of Utmost Dreams, hoping that Dyosphir will find her, free her and bring her to safety. Courage , fortitude and overcoming any obstacles that he might encounter, the specters that haunt his heart, mind and soul, the Joy Killers are their to thwart his happiness and destroy his will hoping that the his pursuit to find Ivalisee will allow them to take over and attack his princedom. The author allows readers into the mind of Dyosphir but we also learn the treatment his men in red who go along with him to protect him and help him in his quest, inflict on the one called the Creature Thordskree whose appearance might seem odd, grotesque and frightening, yet it is this creature that provides the voice of reason, understanding and hope. Remorse, retribution, hope, lucid dreams, vivid nightmares that trap not only Ivalisee but her lover too as they both fight the strings that tie them and prevent them from facing each other in real time. The Sphere of Utmost Dreams is a realm where you and I and these characters have our dreams and nightmares trapped. Each phase of the trip is vividly described as we hear the voice of the narrator telling the story, taking time to interject his/her opinions and explanations of events so that you the reader will understand the journey. The goal after all is said and done and all the obstacles are endured is to bring this amazing girl back to real space-time, have a family and live in what he calls Dyosphirland.
Would you go this far to find your true love, or the person you think is your true love trapped without any hope in a cold desert? A journey or quest that he takes on whether you think it is wise or the act of someone blinded by what he thinks is love. His staff of servants go with him to keep him out of danger but every step of the way things don’t go exactly to plan and the servants wind up not making the trip because as you get to know their impudence, their rudeness, and their crash attitude towards the Creature, you understand the choices made and the end result. The chapter where Ivalisee sings is compelling as she hopes he will hear her voice, find the path to her but love might win out or maybe not!

Voices are heard throughout the poem as many want this Prince to heal their pain. But, his mind is only in one place and that’s to find Ivalisee. His screams are heard and the adviser chief, the servant calls for and explains they are here to protect their Mastron better but will they succeed? Hear the dreams of this Prince as at times they are incomprehensible and he appears throughout the story often pale, gaunt, and near death. Whether foolhardy or just stuck on what he wants to do the Prince demands that they leave on the spot, even though he’s told it just might be only a dream he refuses to relent and give up on his quest to find Ivalisee and will never desert her. But, the Joy Killers seem to be in charge and the fun and love in life is their goal to destroy but our Prince keeps on and will not repeal his desires or give in to the advice or will of others. Will he allow them to win? Will they be able to preserve the flame and win what they refer to or the narrator does as the game?

Dyosphir’s love or Ivalisee is timeless he thinks and he will set her free from the Sphere of Utmost Dreams or die trying.

The Creature and the Child are two steadfast characters that I think provide the justice, the wisdom and even the conscience to help guide the Prince even though he does not often follow their lead or listen to their warnings. Approaching the men that the took with them the Creature decides on their fate and even though things did not pan out and the world seems to give the Creature a good whirl, he did not crumble or worry.
A powerful poem that shows just how far someone will go to find true love but in reality you the reader after going on this journey, enduring the obstacles, the storms, the lack of food, the almost near death encounters must decide if this young damsel was worth the sanctity of his Kingdom that was in danger of having the Joy Killers take it over.

Each path they take they hoped would lead them to the Rose of Sharon. Some fairytales start with Once Upon A Time but author Bruno Ribeiro created a story told in rhyme of two young lovers that would risk it all to be together at all cost told as if it’s a song that you can hear the many tones, musical sounds of each voice and the loud brass or percussion section of the orchestra blaring those trumpets, saxophones and clarinets.

The Child and the Creature become an important part of how this story pans out as we learn more about the Creature asking if she should keep guiding him to the Child and his voice was calm and he is so gallant. But, this chapter focuses on the many moods and occurrences that happen to the Prince’s men and the end result what happens when they see the Bridge, the dog, its huge size and the sadness all around them because they wanted the Prince back to rule as the Child says “Welcome to me, Dyosphir.”

Can you second-guess yourself? The Prince next recites his dreams, his doubts and his night screams and even what he thinks he spoke with Ivalisee.

Battles rage within each character but the Prince is relentless in his quest to find her and will risk his life, those of others until he finds himself coming close to her in the Sphere of Utmost Dreams. So, is this all an illusion created to spark him to find a true love? He is really seeing and hearing her voice? Is this story told from realities or someone’s dreams that seem to take over his life but in reality did this really happen?

Trusting the Child and the Creature was not easy for the Prince as he doubted the Creature: Was he a sinner or did he have a pure soul?

The narrator goes off on tangents at times but now understand that poor Ivalisee is trapped within the Sphere of Utmost Dreams but where?
Where will the journey take them? Into the Dark? The Prince demanded answers and would not tolerate anything in his pursuit of Utter LOVE!

But, how do you change scenery from Gray that is unclear because you cannot see the direction to Blue?

What about his concern for his people and that they him to see what’s in their hearts now!

At times we realize that the Prince is not really focused on his duties but is blindsided by the vision of a woman he has yet to meet. The chapter titled Ivalisee reveals more but this dear reader as the narrator says and makes the Prince wonder why he never heard about them or learned their names before

So, what is the final outcome?

Setbacks are many but the Prince won’t give up but the ending is shocking as their eyes meet but their fate is…….? The Sphere is right in front of him and the promise of true love not faraway but endings have ways of changing fates and the author has brilliantly let readers know that sometimes what happens is not expected. You the reader decide if you agree with the ending and the final fate of these two as the Book of Lovers Comes to a starling close!

Fran Lewis: Just reviews/MJ Magazine