Marlise Joubert. 2. foto Philip de Vos (1)

Joubert’s collection of poems is a full-bodied, finely woven and well-composed poetic work of art. The volume is carefully planned and displays strong autobiographical elements with an elegiac undertone. Many of the verses and one whole section are dedicated to her deceased mother. The poet uses both traditional poetic forms and free verses, although these verses always have a strong structural substructure. Joubert’s poems are characterized by creative metaphoric use, finely worded language use and sometimes contain strong symbols. Her poems resonate with many readers because they deal with universal issues and universal human dilemmas. Literally every poem in the volume is well rounded off, and at a basic level an elementary argument is observable. The artwork on the cover symbolizes, through the deep scratch marks, the pain depicted in many poems, but also, through the waterfall, the flow of life that always goes on, regardless of our minor pain and loss. Marlise Joubert is an experienced, well-read and ingenious poet who integrates all her senses in a creative way in her poetry.