Poetry Review: "I lost myself in the mall then found myself in a thrift store"

Are you a poetry lover? I know I am! So when I had the opportunity to get Joshua S. Kangley's book " I lost Myself in the Mall Then Found Myself in a Thrift Store" I jumped at the chance.

Although my personal writing style leans more towards a rigid metrical structure, Joshua S. Kangley's primarily free verse format captivated me throughout this collection of heartfelt poems.

As I read this small book packed full of emotions; happy, silly and sad, I felt myself joining Joshua on his journey of self discovery. His words took me through the joys, sorrows and adventures that have shaped his life. From a place where he refers to mall shoppers as 'shopping zombies' in a 'brick and mortar bubble', past heartache and wonder, to a Thrift store where he left me wondering about the treasure he found.

If you are looking to go on a poetic adventure I suggest you pick up Joshua's book HERE or HERE. I truly enjoyed reading this book and found the poems moving and entertaining, however, my two favorites are: "That Old Boot Box" and "15 Minute Break". 

I wish Joshua well on his literary journey and will be watching for his next book.

To learn more about Joshua or connect with him you can visit his website here or find him on Facebook here. I also strongly recommend visiting his website and reading about his Christmas Card Project.

Sunday In My City: Big City Mall

After 20 years in South Dakota I almost forgot how exciting a big city mall can be. Growing up in Southern California hanging out at some of the larger mall's was always a fun way to spend an afternoon, especially if it was raining. So heading to the MacArthur Mall Friday, I was filled with anticipation. I expected it to be busy and the parking lot crowded. What I didn't know was that in down town Norfolk has NO parking lots. All of the parking is in parking garages, large multi-level parking garages.

It is a good thing my daughter had an idea where we were the Barnes and Noble was located or we might have been wandering forever.

Garage stair access

 Once inside I was met with the enormity of the this amazing three story mall. Now I have been in a few three story malls but it has been some time since I was in one that was not only tall but so large I could easily become lost.

One thing I have been noticing a lot the past few weeks is statues in the shape of this mermaid. They are all over town. At first I thought maybe it was the city's logo but although the shape is the same they are all very different in artistic representation. Visit Mermaid Watching to learn more about the Mermaids of Norfolk. Find out their history here.

Beautifully designed Mermaids can be seen all over Norfolk

Maybe I am a bit on the odd side but architecture and lines always draw my eye, and it was no different on this day. I just had to get a shot or two of the architectural lines of this great place.

But a visit to the Mall is not a visit if you don't do a bit of window shopping.

I know understand why my daughter rarely goes to the mall. The center of the Mall is all open with walk bridges connecting the promenade that runs in front of the stores. Unfortunately Sissy is terrified of heights and the only way to get her across these bridges was for my youngest daughter to carry her. Sissy kept her eyes closed the entire time.

Finally we were at our destination.

Unfortunately we had to take the stairs inside Barnes and Noble up to the third level where the children's books were. Once again Sissy had to be carried. When we left I convinced her to close her eyes while we rode the glass elevator to the level we were parked on.

A trip to the mall wouldn't be complete without a few treats.

I can't wait to go back and wander more through this fantastic Mall.

Norfolk, VA linking up with Unknown Mami for