Readers’ Review of Expectations

There is really nothing more encouraging for a writer than an awesome review. Receiving good reviews is probably one of the best parts about writing. I love to share my work and I find it especially rewarding when someone enjoys my writing and appreciates the presentation and the individuality. The following review was originally posted on Readers’ Favorites and can be found on Barnes and Nobles and Google Books.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Expectations by Regina Horne Beard is a collection of poems that speaks about the common human emotions that we experience in our lives. The poems are all written in free verse and teach us how to go on a path of intellectual, mental, and spiritual growth.
I enjoyed reading the poems. Poetry is always interesting because each poet has their own way of expressing their observations and thoughts. That means, although the emotions are the same, the way of presentation and the way of expressing them will be unique and will reflect the individuality of the poet. The poems stay true to the title, Expectations. All the poems are about relationships and our expectations. The author has managed to deal with the truth and write an emotional collection of poems that is soul-stirring and heart-rending for the readers.

The love poems like 'Desert Prince' and 'Our Life' show the softer and romantic side of the poet. 'Closure' is a beautiful poem on the closing of a relationship. The poet has handled the theme very well without going overboard. The language is crisp, minimalist, and very effective. 'Parcae' has a lot of sadness in it. 'The Enchanter' speaks about passion and desire. That is again one poem where the poet has used minimalism to enhance the powerful emotions.

I would recommend this book to poetry lovers. The emotions are connected and the poet handles a theme that all of us can understand very well.

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This is the second review I received that specifically mentions the poems “Our Life” and “Closure,” and the first to mention my favorite poem “The Enchanter.” It’s interesting the poems that people remember and reflect on. About a month ago, I had an extended email correspondence with one fan about “Closure.” He commented that it is often the most painful experiences in life that inspire the best work. After giving it some thought, I had to agree with his assessment. While in college, I studied history and it seemed that during times of trouble and strife, the best works of art and literature were created. For example, after the defeat of the Persians under Xerxes, art, architecture, and literature flourished in Athens, which included the building of the Parthenon. On a more microscopic scale, particular moments in our lives can inspire us to create our best work. I think “Closure” fits into this scenario nicely. “Closure” is a reflection on the darkest period in my life, a time I wish I could forget.

“Our Life” is a happy poem about love. Most of the poems I write tend to be more sad than happy, which is not a reflection on me. I’m a happy person and always smiling and laughing. Love, however, is not always a happy experience, which is why it fascinates me so much. Love can be amazing, but it can also be heartbreaking. Love is a conundrum. “Our Life” is one of those amazing love moments. It describes the depth of every day love. Some may think that this kind of comfortable love is boring but, in fact, every day love is what will sustain you. Every day love is what gives a couple the strength to withstand the cruelty of the world. It is the light that penetrates the darkness. You may not be able to live on love, but love can help you cope with life because this is the kind of love that gives hope. 

“Desert Prince” is a poem I wrote when I was in high school. It is a fantasy poem of a day dream. When I was younger, I wanted to be rescued more than anything. I did not like where I was or where I was going and, as crazy as it sounds to me today, I thought a man could change all of that. My expectations about love and life were quite fanciful back then.

“Parcae” is Latin for the Fates. According to Greek mythology, the Fates controlled the destinies of humans by weaving the Thread of Life on a loom. In this poem, I wrestle with the idea of a love that was destined to end permanently and irrevocably and coping with the pain that followed the breakup. It is definitely an unhappy poem.

“The Enchanter” is a poem about desire and the hypnotic trance a new lover can inflame. It was written in September 2000 for a Creative Writing class I was taking. It is my favorite because it is perfect in rhyme, meter, and theme. The vocabulary and the syntax are all hallmarks of poetry written by me. I view “The Enchanter” as a signature piece.

Mamta Madhavan is the first reviewer to point out that I use minimalism in my poetry. There are many different aspects to poetry that gives a poem its character. It is not only important to choose the correct words, but it is also crucial to use the right sentence length to enhance the emotion of the words. Madhavan understood that, and I appreciate her pointing it out. It’s great to have someone do such a wonderful job reviewing. She read, dissected, and translated my work beautifully. She understood the subtle nuances of poetry and applied them to my poems. Reviews don’t get much better than this!

The book trailer for Expectations:

Masquerade from Expectations

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of “masquerade” is (noun) “a false show or pretense” or (verb) to “pretend to be someone one is not.” How often do we put up a front and pretend that all is well? How often do we pretend to be someone we are not? The poem “Masquerade” is a soliloquy, agonizing over whether I should be myself or pretend to be a shadow of who I am.


For me, being myself is one the scariest things I can do because I have always been a controversial person. I am a liberal and a feminist living in the southern United States where they preach that you’re going to hell for being either. When I was younger, I did not much care what other people thought about me. More often than not, I would follow my heart and the consequences were usually ostracism and isolation. When I am alone, I often think of myself as a fool who’s only defense is to laugh at the comedy of social acceptance.

I have weak moments when my confidence is low and I second guess my behavior. I could pretend to be happy and let the world think I have it all together – that I’m doing what I want and all is perfect. I could also pretend to be morose and unhappy – that the world is beating me up in this tragedy of a life. The third option is I could be dramatic and tell all of my troubles to anyone who comes within three feet of me. All of the scenarios would be a “false show” where I pretend to be someone I’m not. The scary part for me would be the last two lines of the poem:

“Or should I perform on stage as myself alone
And release the phantom from its cage to stalk and roam?”

It is no mistake that I use such vocabulary and that the length of the lines are longer. As I had said earlier, being myself has taught me that harsh consequences will follow. The reaction I get from being myself is usually that I’m some sort of evil demon that should be locked away. I chose longer lines to slow the pace of the poem in this section because this is the heart of the poem. This is where I reveal who I am. I deliberately leave out which scenario I choose because, with each new day and circumstance, I choose a different answer.

I wrote “Masquerade” in 2000 for a creative writing class I was taking in college. The feedback I received from the poem not only encouraged me to continue writing but also shed light on the fact that I’m not alone. We all perform on life’s stage and more often than not we pretend to be someone we are not because it is safer to be what people expect. For example, in high school we pretend to be a certain way in order to fit in. As an adult, we have to maintain an air of professionalism in order to keep a job. Under certain conditions, our behavior changes in order to cope. Because of the expectations of society, we all wear our masks.\

The book trailer for Expectations:

A Mythical Man from Expectations

One of my favorite subjects to write about is the expectations we often put on the opposite sex and on romance.  We all have these ideas of what a perfect mate would be and the characteristics that this person should have.  Often these ideas are unrealistic.  In the poem “A Mythical Man,” I explore this theme using mythology to reinforce the belief that the perfect man does not exist except in fantasy.

In the first stanza, I compare the perfect man with Theseus.  In Greek mythology, Theseus was an Athenian hero who fought the Minotaur, a monster who was half-bull and half-human and lived in a maze on the island of Crete.  Love-sick Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, helped Theseus to escape the labyrinth of the Minotaur by giving him a ball of string.  Theseus defeated the Minotaur and Ariadne led him to a ship and they ran away together.  I chose Theseus to represent the brave aspect of the perfect man.  In the poem, I long for a man courageous like Theseus who will rescue me from a life without love. 

In the second stanza, I compare the perfect man to Hercules who was notorious for his strength.  Having a strong man to protect you is one of those things that women have been told that they need from a man.  For some women, having a chiseled man with six-pack abs is what they look for when choosing a mate, and they do not bother looking beyond the superficial (but that is a topic for another day).  In mythology, Hercules was the epitome of strength because he was the son of Zeus.  His twelve labors were legendary and each of the labors demonstrated his strength, which made him a perfect candidate for “A Mythical Man.”

In the third stanza, I praise the intelligent man by comparing him with Plato.  I used Plato in this poem even though he was a historical figure and not a mythical one.  I used him because of his work on Symposium.  In this dialogue, Plato explores the meaning of love, another favorite theme of mine. The speeches in the dialogue attempt to answer the question “what is love?”  Some of the conclusions and speeches in Symposium are hilarious.  Some of the answers are poignant and close to defining love, but it is Socrates’s speech that clinches the meaning.  The speech I love the most is the one by Aristophanes.  It’s a satire, but I can’t help but love the idea that I have a mate who shares my soul.  I think it’s a romantic idea.  To me, it explains that yearning we have to keep searching until we find that other part of our souls.  The Symposium is a great piece of literature and well worth picking up.

In the final stanza, I compare the perfect man to Homer who is credited for composing two of the greatest epics in ancient history, the Iliad and the Odyssey.  The language and imagery of the Iliad and the Odyssey transforms the story of the Trojan War and Odysseus’s journey back to Ithaca into a poetic epic that comes alive for the reader.  When Homer describes the battles, you can almost hear the swords clash; and when Odysseus travels to Hades, you can imagine yourself there with him interviewing Agamemnon.  Both epics are masterpieces of poetry, which is why I chose Homer as the example of a poetic man. 

The perfect man for me would be brave, strong, intelligent, and poetic.  He would rescue me from a life of loneliness and protect me from the world.  He would be well-read, intelligent, and articulate.  He would know the right thing to say and fill my life with beauty and poetry.  I doubt that such a creature exists and not because I believe that men cannot possess such gifts, but because we are all fallible human beings.  None of us are perfect.  In choosing a mate, it would be a mistake to concentrate on perfection because that leads to disappointment.

You don’t have to have a deep understanding of Greek mythology to appreciate this poem, but it does help to grasp the subtle meanings conveyed in the poem.  To learn more about Greek mythology, visit your local library and check out a book by Edith Wharton and/or Joseph Campbell.  Some of the best stories written were penned by the ancient Greeks.  They really understood the human experience.

To learn more about me and my writings visit my website.  If there are any specific poems you want me to discuss, then drop me an email.

Happy reading!!

The book trailer to Expectations:

Expectations by Regina Horne Beard

Expectations is a collection of thirty poems written from 1989 to 2004 and was published July 2013.  The earliest poem, "Make Believe," was written while I was in high school.  I was one of those geeky girls who carried around a notebook of poetry.  I was always adding a new poem to it - almost daily.  I was also shy and didn't share them with many people.  Most of the poems in Expectations were written while I was an undergraduate for a creative writing course I was taking at the local community college.  The feedback was very encouraging.  I had always known that I wanted to write poetry and stories, but I never really knew if I was good enough to share them on a professional level.  Expectations is the testing ground.  It has only been published for a few months, but the reactions I've received so far have embolden me to write more.

Over the  years I had played with the idea of publishing.  I have stories I've been working on for a while, but nothing worth sharing with the world.  I also wanted to finish graduate school, and to be a published author takes a great deal of time, a valuable commodity when chasing a master's degree.  Early this year I revisited the idea of publishing again and have been enticed by what the eBook community could provide.  Having control over my work is paramount and the opportunity presented itself to make publishing a reality.  I gathered my poetry, placing them in order.  Then I created a cover page.  Once I was satisfied with the aesthetics, I held my breath and clicked on "publish."  Within a few weeks, it was available online for $2.99 from various online book sellers including BookTango, Amazon.com, Google Books, and iBooks - just to name a few.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to blog about the poetry in Expectations and explain some of the meanings and background of the poems.  If there are any poems in particular you want to know more about, please, don't hesitate to contact me or visit my website.  I'll be glad to talk about any part of my work.

The book trailer for Expectations:


Until then...Happy reading!