Reviewed by Michael Ernest Sweet
Concordia University

Rainbow Tears is a poetry collection which will, without doubt, bring tears to the eyes of animal lovers and owners alike. So many of us have lost pets throughout our lives and Steve Bateman shows, with poignancy, how such losses affect our emotions, indeed our very souls. Our pets are an intimate part of our lives, so much so that often the human/animal divide is bridged entirely. I love Bateman’s line from Miss You which exemplifies this so emotionally:

“The days on the beach, when we sat on the sand,/ Watching the waves, with your paw in my hand” (p. 35).

Many of the poems in the collection are in memory of Bateman’s beloved Zella whom he lost in March of 2006, and for whom the collection as a whole is dedicated. If we have ever doubted that a human could be in love with an animal, this work puts such a question decidedly to rest. Bateman loved Zella and there is no doubt his love was returned.

Contemporary poetry is often criticized for its lack of literary merit. I often have to agree. There is to be no question that so much poetry, especially that which is self-published like Bateman’s collection, is little more than personal musings which should rightly be tucked away in personal diaries and journals. I would have to relegate Bateman’s poetry to this category by and large. It is amateur in literary scope and the book has obviously not been edited. Normally these two elements would lead me to a negative review of a title claiming to be a ‘book’ in the traditional sense. Rainbow Tears is not a collection of poetry likely to be revered for the poet’s voice or style. However, I would not hesitate to state this title’s worth as a book to comfort and sooth animal lovers suffering the loss of a furry friend. Bateman can, and does, take us into the intimate realm of the pet/owner relationship.

Although Rainbow Tears will most likely not make poetry 101 classes or even the coveted shelf space of fine booksellers, I do honestly hope it makes the coffee tables of pet owners everywhere. There is a most noble and finely emotional message in this little book; a message that will undoubtedly bring tears - a worthy aim of poetry. Afterall, good poetry should touch the sentiments and Rainbow Tears most certainly does, in fact, it brings just that - a rainbow of tears.

“It’s time now my friend to let me go,
 In my eyes you see I love you so.
 It’s now that we must say goodbye,
 It’s time my friend for you to cry.
 In your eyes I see the love your hold,
 And now in your heart you must be bold.”

 (from, My Time, p. 57)

Bateman, S (2007). Rainbow tears: a collection of poems for animal lovers. Morrisville, NC: Lulu Press Inc., (64pp. $12.69US).

Rainbow Tears is available from Lulu.com

Michael Ernest Sweet lives, writes and teaches in Montreal, Quebec. He is the founding director of The Learning for a Cause Institute which promotes imaginative education. His own books include Ab Ovo and Dances with Love.