From reading some of the reviews, I'm sad this poetry book didn't live up to my expectations. I really didn't feel like this was proving anything it was supposed to. "The other side of having". Living a life where you don't have anything. It seemed like the biggest thing the narrator spoke about was the emptiness from his love life. This might be a bit harsh, but personally I felt the tone of this book was simply whiny. I felt like I was reading a diary straight from a middle schooler. Having a "successful" love life isn't everything.

The poems were, to my mind, spoiled by lack of attention to puntuation and word order. Poets are entitled to be imaginative, creative and thought-provoking in their use of language and the arrangement of words on the page but any unusual usage should enhance their art rather than obscure the meaning and irritate readers.

"you’re my morning’s sunrise
you’re the moon glow in my night"

I have a hard time reading it first because of the format of the ebook on my phone (I am somehow affected by this). As the title says "The Other Side of Having" means loss, and I can somehow relate to it being heartbroken and traumatized. This was one of the best poetry I've ever read so far this year, it feels authentic and it describes exactly the feeling of loss.

I love reading poetry because I believe it's one of the best ways to write one's feelings. And with this one, I saw that. The lovingness., the realness of the poet's every word. It was so nice having to read this book.

“The Other Side of Having” (2014) is a collection of meaningful thoughtfully written poetic reflection by Mick Mally. With very limited details about the poet, he is listed online as an American poet, but his figures of speech and expression suggest he may be based in the U.K. The dedication of the volume suggest Mally may have been a widower at one time, with the dedication reading: “Larissa, wife, child of the heavens, you have blessed my life with your presence. This one is for you.” In addition, Mally’s work is praised by the Poet Laureate, Lucille Clifton.

Without a point of reference in many of the poems such as dates, times, locations readers may not always be aware of a genuine understanding of what is written. For instance, “Joseph” the poem only hints at someone being lost in an airline crash. “it’s coffee time again” is a reflection along with the majority of most of the poems that detail the heartbreak of lost love and relationships that didn’t work out: waiting for return phone calls that never come - sleeping in an empty bed/waking up alone - promises that couldn’t be kept - being left over and over, watching a lover walk away.
A marriage of possibly three years is briefly mentioned in “goodbye is such a useless word “—a daughter, his wife’s disapproving family, a father saying goodbye to his child. Later, the not so surprising discovery of the wife's affair with another man.

The poet seems to write with the attempt to arouse sympathy. Since only the ending and brief new beginnings of promising new relationships (that end with his lover leaving him) without the reasons for the failure of these relationships, the poetry only relates in a one sided/superficial level, as we wonder (without being told) what “really” happened. Many of the poems are untitled, written in a free verse, some rhyme, (some clichéd) and are formatted in lower case verse. All of the poems are very nicely illustrated which adds to the overall appeal of this debut volume. ~ 3* GOOD.
**With thanks to First Edition Design Publishing via NetGalley for the direct e-copy for the purpose of review.

I found this book VERY slow going and perhaps it just wasn't for me. Poetry is often something I love, but can be very hit or miss and this time it was a miss. I found the poems dragging on too much and I had genuinely lost interest by halfway through this novel.

I did enjoy the break from modern poetry, and the way he managed to make everything Rhyme, which shows his talents as a wordsmith. But overall I didn't connect with the poems or feel anything from them.

A collection of short pithy poems mostly about loss and separation.
Its strength and weakness is this relentless approach; at times I felt it was the same poem/ideas being reproduced until it was captured in the finished example. At times, these repeated thoughts and rhyming words like cares, frustrated me as nothing new seemed to be expressed and then a break through. A different form, repeating lines and subject resonanted with me.
I read it twice and my opinions didn't change significantly. The verses I liked were still clear and others continued to leave me unimpressed.
Can/Cannot was clever.
"can what's old again be new"and "can i say what must be said".
"i cannot....." - This was a familiar experience well expressed.
I also liked: 'even though i needed you' -
"i never thought you could
my head said no you couldn't
your heart said yes
you could..."
Again: 'ever so slowly' rang true of an old fashioned view of office parties.
As someone as a teenager, asked his first girlfriend out by telephoning her family home I loved.
'i wonder what you're doing now'
I also liked 'i left to find a reason' , 'so this is how you end it - ' and the fragrance of your woman love..'
Mostly it seems the break-up and loss happen to the bloke as though he was powerless to make his own decisions. Therefore I loved: 'through learning you i found them - '.
Finally I think we should all read poetry and explore other forms of literature. It is the power of stories that thrill and excite my reading but within short forms and poems the beauty and impact of words can be re-inforced.
Here is an example from this collection.
"the death of one so filled with life
has caused un-ending pain".
i hope you read some poetry and find words that express your unspoken thoughts.