Guilty Prayer, a collection of poems by Steve Henn, may be short in length, with only 40 pages, but its message is anything but small. Initially apprehensive when approached to review this book due to my limited knowledge of poetry, I was captivated by Henn’s writing and deeply moved by the themes he delved into.
The poems within Guilty Prayer are imbued with raw emotion, skillfully expressing pain, religious introspection, suicide, and the gripping clutches of addiction. Carrying the book everywhere in my MTV sequined handbag, I began to follow Henn on Instagram (@indiana_sad_man), intrigued by the insights he shared.
Grief & Loss
One recurring theme that struck me profoundly was the exploration of grief and loss. Coincidentally, shortly after receiving the book, I found myself attending several funerals. The correlation was not lost on me, and I came to realize that in sobriety, we often encounter life’s harsh realities head-on, leading to a greater understanding of loss.
Hann’s contemplations on our collective obsession with mindless internet humor and using humor as a defense mechanism to cope with life’s challenges resonated deeply with me during this period of grief. His words made me feel understood and normalized the emotions I was experiencing.
In conclusion, Guilty Prayer is a powerful and poignant collection of poems that dives fearlessly into the depths of human emotion, addiction, and spirituality. Steve Henn’s ability to convey complex emotions through his writing is commendable, making this book a thought-provoking and enriching read for anyone seeking to explore poetry through the eyes of addiction.
About Steve Henn
Steve Henn teaches high school English in northern Indiana. His previous books include Guilty Prayer (Main Street Rag, 2021) and Indiana Noble Sad Man of the Year (Wolfson, 2017). He’s proud of the children of himself and the late American artist Lydia Henn. He roots for the Fighting Irish, played high school soccer, and gives poetry readings in all kinds of places, from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee to Long Beach, travel conditions and money conditions and time permitting. His most recent collection is the chapbook American Male from Main Street Rag (2022). His favorite food is crab cakes, which are also a unit of value measurement for anything in the world (this website = 37 crab cakes).
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