Rating: *****

Intense!
Rick Smith explores, confronts and questions the unexplained with pained honesty. As with his artwork as a painter, Rick expresses with his poetry, profound lessons and insights with multidimensional metaphors. His candor shows true courage and imagination. How do you possibly put into perspective "extraterrestrialism" -- encounters beyond the realm of earthly expectations, encounters beyond sanity?

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Rating: ****

Disturbing, challenging, surrealist, controversial, are but a few words that reel around in my mind when trying to convey something about Rick Smith's 104 page poetry which makes up Legions of Light - Armies of Darkness. Divided into 6 sections including headings titled, Awakenings, The Calling, The Horsemen Cometh and Into The Fringe, this is a story - autobiographical - of a strange world and strange life, involving spiritual and extraterrestrial phenomena. And these aspects of Rick's life intertwines inseparably with his some of his personal relationships. Already an accomplished New York artist, Rick Smith transposes his surrealist paintings into words, which will shock and stretch the reader's mind in many directions. In the opening lines of the poem, Communion, the reader sees Rick the painter, The art/not you,/keeps me warm/in solstices,/equinoxes//Pulling/her canvas linens/around my skin. In another piece the lines, Wishing to tell/your beautiful mother,/I have looked into her into her eyes,/found my soulmate,/the reason to live, reveals the intimate and sensitive side of Rick Smith. But to simply dip into a few lines here and there does not even begin to give a clear picture of the books totality, nor the multi-faceted aspects of Rick's mind, life and talents. I am not aware of any poetry or poet who I could remotely compare Rick Smith and his work to. But be assured, this is not a light-hearted pick-and-choose collection of poems. Nor are the subjects necessarily 'comfortable' for the uninitiated of such controversial topics. But if it's something mind-stretching and challenging that you are looking for, then Legions of Light / Armies of Darkness achieves that on several levels.Alternatively visit the author's web site, www.UFOteacher.Com where you can view some of his artwork.

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Rating: *****

What a ride!

Welcome to the world of Rick Smith, Artist, Proclaimed Teacher of the Masses who with this book takes us on a journey through his emotional/spiritual dealings with what is conceived as the raping of humanity. Reading it, is like passing through all the heights and depths of a great mountain range at lightspeed. His book rages against the coldness and blindness of the world, the calculating deprivation of truth by "the powers that be" and the terrible sin of apathy the masses evidence. He is a self-proclaimed son of the Matriarchy and battles the Patriarchal Order of society that is leading humanity into a downward spiral. Scattered throughout are tender verses that serve to cushion the madness of the world, expressed as his love of L. La Mermaid and J.M. Starchild.

This is not a book of tame crafted poetry that wafts its meaning through poetic device, but hits the reader more like a machine gun blasting bullets of blood and guts observation and relentless social commentary through the writer's experience. Instead of a book of poetry, it reads more like a diary of powerful personal insights, or a versified new gospel for the 21st century. Touching upon issues such as sexism, separatism, racism, cover-ups, often through the use of esoteric, clandestine and mythological imagery, he is a voice in the wilderness crying for the release of truth, and a prophetic harbinger of belief in higher, deeper purposes.

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Rating: *****

A scintilating wake-up call for the senses!!!

Like the image on the cover, the text of this remarkable book is both complex and simple, direct and subtle, and always thought-provoking. Forget the would-be pretenders to the crown of truly original poetry… for Smith is the master. The joys and pains that each and every one of us feel are combined with the inquisitive, exhaustive search for the meaning of man's place in the Cosmos.

Dip into this and take away what you choose, but one thing is for certain, you WILL go away enriched by the experience. Scintilating, fun, terrifying, funny, sweet, and heart-touching… it's all these and more. Rick Smith deserves a much wider audience.

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Dearest Rick,

Thanks for baring your soul in your magnificent Legions of Light presentation: I love you unconditionally as my true friend and co-worker for the TruthÉ

There are so many emotions touched upon - executed with piercing pathos - that I, lebeau, can scarcely decide how or where to begin. Let me just say that both The Back Left Corner of Heaven as well as Genetic Legacy left a superior effect on my soul/spirit… Xenophobic was also an extraordinary expression of your poetic use of words.

I was touched by your candidness and believe I have intuited the situation. I have felt the pain of not being able to completely harness that of whom I loved - and it caused me much, much pain… whatever… true growth comes with much pain.

As busy as I am and distracted by some serious stuff, I made it a point to read the whole book. WOW! You set the scene in fine fashion in the last stanza of Journey To The Center: // a battle of old and new realms // with the taste of fresh desires // thought dead so long ago.

I like the way you expressed the feeling to the "Father" in My Assassins: // He who graces // Himself // with my spit // The realization of my obsession // emanates // in unseen freedoms, //

And in Making It: Angels begin to cry // everytime // a friend succeeds - // I die a little // } Apt expression for the Kingdom of Man.

In Revival I loved the depiction of the Vigilante Patriarch: // false God rotting // in the stains // of my enslaved corpse // } Boy - are you ripe for going from death to the Kingdom of Man to the true beauty of the Kingdom of God! Excellent. This process is keenly manifested in the Gospel of Thomas!

In THE CALLING section, I loved both Communion and Confirmation: by describing yourself as // the mere moth // entombed // among catacombs, // To the flame // I plunge, // Phoenix and Mantis, // mating eagles to doves // speaks volumes. I have had an "eagle" synchronicity recently (cr: attached "chit-chat II" with eagle note… I wish you could have been there but I know you and Janet were on a mission).

Plus, the juxtaposition: Caesars, // prostitutes of Yaldobaoth // I am – // honesty, // humanity's birthright, // the fool // who employed // Lucifer… // } Don't worry Rick – you woke up; besides, as you said later: you are doomed to perfection.

Your brilliance really comes to the fore with THE HORSEMEN COMETH. I loved just about everything in this section… for example, the whole of Xenophobic is a masterpiece: // a forbidden planet, // } How apt an expression a la Melville's ocean ruled by Moby Dick.
// your agendas filling // Mother's breast // } My mother god damn it!!!
// with snapped bones, // skeletons // of her children // } Magnificent!
// How natural // your grin // upon the infant's // chain addiction // } Boy, did you nail the imagery here
// talons of the // global oppression // The gridlock of Marshall Law // } Armies of Darkness… yes, yes, yes – who are about to try to crush me via IRS lien on my salary. :(
// chain not my vision // not my spirit // } Amen Rick!

Note: I had a synchronicity while reading Sexism on phrase // Eye to eye // ; I heard on my audio tape Clannad (of which I had several synchronicities). It was the phrase "close my eyes" [Time 9:06am on Nov. 17th]. Maybe your eyes are now budding to open before they blossom to full gnosis since you need to wring out the necessary fertilizer and wash yourself until you are fully clean… allusion from tractate before "Book of Thomas, the Contender" (cr: p.194 in the Nag Hammadi, "Exegesis of the Soul"). Believe me, I was guided to the page since I only remember the simile – not where it was – guided divinely because this was an important statement in the Nag Hammadi.ÊMeditate on…

I liked the way you referenced Enki and Enlil** in Nationalist as the twins of Arrogance and Chauvinism } These were our parental links?!? No wonder the Kingdom of Man is all screwed up! (**inferred by David Icke as reptiles in The Biggest Secret and therefore criticizes Sitchin for not going far enough.) :(

Wouldn't it be interesting if the "Mother" you were linked to is the very insect-like ones alluded to by Karla Turner in Into The Fringe, now looking to overcome the Patriarchy of Reptiles?!? Thought for the day…

*****

So I see your poetry as a reflection of Total Reality, reflected beautifully in My Accusers where: To my right, // Sitchin… godfather, // } Curious imagery.
// my left, // Sagan… laughingstock, // } Nag Hammadi references… Testimony of Truth… 2nd Treatise of Great Seth.
// in front, // a sea of riots // (Note: Sagan = Nagas; another John the Baptist controlling Jordan flow of knowledge.) Your poetry is sending me to other levels, like The Back Left Corner of Heaven – I loved this poem – yet Death brings New Life. :)

Lastly, my other favorite – Genetic Legacy – as part of the whole fittingly called INTO THE FRINGE. The // English Ivy // } spreading like the horn of the Heifer of Ephram… the Manifest Destiny of the Kingdom of Man (cr: the Evolution of Israel by deWelden and 'chit-chat I' at MUFON).
// the Mantis, // her seeds laid // in lush pastures // } ready to bud the blossom.
// starborne healers // of biological evolution // } Cool… real cool!

*****

My epilogue to Rick;

Your brilliance as an artist/poet may only be outweighed by a remark from Shakespeare [enlightened Freemason, blue-blooded nobleman of suspicious origin]:

"He loved not wisely but too well…"

In short Rick, hopefully you have been fully christened into new awareness so now the Butterfly of your Essence will fully emerge – I know you will do it!

Love from your good friend
with a Rebel's Righteousness,
byron lebeau