Title: Tales From the Trails
Author: Melissa K. Melton
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5434-3703-04
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 151
Reviewed by: Jason Lulos
Pacific Book Review
In this charming collection of poetry – playful, as well as serious and motivational – all from the perspective of a runner who is determined to race, enjoy life and find connections between the two, Author Melissa K. Melton celebrates the individual freedom and adventure of running in her new book titled Tales From the Trails.
This individual experience is often a spiritual encounter with nature, but she also emphasizes the camaraderie with her friends and fellow runners, all of whom support one another. Individual and communal, the analogies between running and life abound. Perseverance, generosity, empathy and self-reliance, (life is a race to be enjoyed more than won). These are the broad, sweeping lessons in this book, which are all clearly offered to the reader as a guide to get more out of life.
The poetic style ranges from literal, to prose-poetry to imagistic, to a playful rhyming which is characteristic of the late poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein. The line breaks are varied, rhymes are scattered and one can’t help but sense this rhythm marks the uneven ground of rough terrain in one of Melton’s races; whether it is a pleasure run or a grueling 50-100 mile ultra-marathon. Life is a race and this theme “runs” throughout the largely motivational collection. In “Memorial Run,” she remembers her departed mother and finds a connection with a fellow runner. Conversely, there are blunt comments about running where she highlights the totally necessary bathroom breaks and satirical lines.
In the first two sections, Melton presents a travelogue. Each race is detailed with location, length, and ends with a commemorative poem. Each run is clearly a metaphor of determination and having a meaningful experience. The remaining two sections still focus on running but gravitate toward more motivational addresses. This genre is autobiographical poetry, but it seems to be more like a self-help book. In “Belong” she writes “Your strength is greater / You are a survivor / Keep fighting / Keep striving.” It is so true.
For enthusiasts of running and lovers of life, every reader will find inspiration and enjoyment by paging this very introspective and revealing book about a person who exemplifies so much strength in character – along with her physical endurance.
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