This collection of uplifting poetic “reflections” from Wilburn takes its title literally. The first poems here center on the act of contemplating one’s self in a mirror, each building to a celebration of deeper qualities than might be apparent on the surface: character and class rather than passing beauty, which Wilburn casts as “vain,” and the assurance, as a Christian, of having a “purpose and plan/ One that is not chosen by man.” The declarative narrative poems that follow describe, in loose and personal lines that alternate between couplets and free verse, relatable scenarios, like making the transition to being a stay-at-home wife and mother after decades of teaching (“I wash, I iron, and I put things away./ The pleasure of it all is doing things my way.”) or facing “The Math Problems of Everyday Life.” That entry’s powered by the fun conceit of applying mathematical logic to the kind of problems Wilburn addresses throughout the book: “Take away pain and sorrow and multiply your faith.”

That faith is the strong throughline of the pieces collected here, expressed with both exultant pleasure (“Living the Christian Songs of Life” playfully builds a declaration of belief from song titles) and a sense of hard-won advice: “Call on Jesus so you don’t go wrong,” she writes in “Communications,” a poem that opens as a consideration of how humanity sends messages to each other but then twists to emphasize that greater concern.

Readers of faith looking for warm, inviting poems connected to everyday life (one entry cautions not to “get upset” when lost and confused in a crowded city) and an emphasis on abiding Christian convictions will find Wilburn’s light verse appealing and often touching. The meter and rhyme schemes tend toward the fluid, but this is conversational self-expression, best read out loud, capturing the spirit of what moves and concerns a pure heart.

Takeaway: Touching light verse contemplating a Christian woman’s faith, days, and self.

Great for fans of: Morgan Harper Nichols, Julie C. Gilbert’s Made to Praise.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B