As its title suggests, Rennie McQuilkin's newest poetry collection, Transformings, focuses on a variety of transformations that occur in both personal and public life. The poems depict the poet's early and later years, in particular the tragic death of his wife, afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, and his life in a retirement community. The worlds of nature and personal relationship are central to the book. In its second section, Transformings presents poems concerning the recent war in the Holy Land, searching for glimmers of hope in a dire situation, suggesting that peace is the only answer, and ending with the score for a musical rendering of the book's final poem, "Hymn for Peace." Always, the poems avoid obscurity and welcome the reader to engage in poetic conversation, looking for hope in even the most desperate moments and finding much joy in life. The poet writes with a deft touch, striving for simplicity and allowing an abundance of humor into his meditations.
