Lyrical Mysteries

In "The PASEFIKA Beat," he captured the rhythms of island living with tropical imagery and a carefree flow. Now, the top-rated poet Jamztoma returns with a new collection that showcases a more personal side of the author's life-including his own harrowing struggles with introversion, mental illness, and the stresses of everyday life.

Divided into four sections titled "Hopeful," "Sorrowful," "Evil," and "Joyful," the collection begins with a look at the high school-aged Jamztoma, then living in American Samoa, who spends his days dreaming of a new life and a brighter future in the United States. What follows is a journey filled with disappointments, sorrows, triumphs, and spiritual awakenings, written in a flowing, lyrical style reminiscent of song.

Structured to resemble the rosary he was taught to recite in his youth, "Lyrical Mysteries" combines personal anecdotes, reflections on Catholicism and Buddhist meditation, and deep-seated thoughts and fears for a candid and powerful portrait of a life fraught with challenges that are unique yet relatable.

These confessional, spiritual, and personal verses are adapted from Jamztoma's personal blog, "The PSALMS of JAMZTOMA," which can be found at http: //www.jamztoma.blogspot.com