Sighs and Murmurs by Geza Tatrallyay
Reviewed by Realistic Poetry International
This prolific collection of poems, Sighs and Murmurs, written by Author Geza Tatrallyay truly takes our breath away!
With much skill and adroitness, the Author demonstrates exceptional skill and talent, both from a mechanical/technical and creative angle, much of the time, carrying a discerning and philosophical mindset and approach in his work.
Intellectual and unconventional, the sighs and murmurs of the human soul and heart resonate through Author Geza Tatrallyay’s verses, reflecting upon the spirit, journey of life, and the emotions that define the expressions sometimes difficult for one to speak, as in the poem “Passing;” where we find out how the eyes of a person may very well be, indeed, the true correspondent of our unspoken, hidden sentiments, and the pellucid window to one’s, ordinarily, imperceptible soul.
In one verse, Geza says, “A goddess on a park bench screamed with her eyes at passing me, screamed a pitiful plea from solitary eyes…” in which he appears to tell a brief story of a chimerical vision about a woman (he doesn’t know), who we interpret as ‘beautifully charming,’ based off elaborate descriptive words like “goddess” and expressive hints such as “…when I turned to delight in one more glimpse,” clearly indicating the sense of pleasure his eyes and heart perceives from the sight of her.
Playing with the powerful element of irony, this surreal day-dream-like moment is abruptly awakened and interrupted by, in the words of the Author, “an empty bench screaming at me from among all the dung and corpses.” [from the featured poem, “Passing.”]
The Author’s enriched vocabulary and vernacular makes his writing intriguing and gives his poetry an original and unique distinctness, sometimes, difficult to accomplish. He does this a few different ways, creatively arranging words in a manner that tests the power of metaphors, such as this symbolical verse where he says, “Waves beat against my mind and grains of sand roll down my cheeks,” then, “Wind and darkness walk with me in my solitude…” [from the featured poem, “Footprints In The Sand.”]
Author Geza Tatrallyay seamlessly connects these imaginative, allegorical portraits to real-life circumstances, emotions, and feelings; in this case, amplifying the character’s deep void of loneliness, sadness, misplacement, and possible mental/physical departure.
With poignant and pensive poems like this and others such as, “Christmas and Afterthoughts,” “Mourning,” “Cries and Whispers,” “When I Consider (one of our personal favorites!), and the compelling piece, “A Shadow Called Memory,” we observe and sense the powerful essence of melancholia through expressions that paint dubious realities, even dark realities, that challenge the stability of his own consciousness as in the featured poem entitled, “Shadows,” where he describes a rather haunting vision in which his eyes behold ‘distorted shapes’ through an opaque window pane, in his words, “seeming to beckon, as if almost human.”
The ominous and mysterious tone this poem possesses effectively complements and captures the Author’s attempt to differentiate the fine line between reality and the walls of his own mind, leaving us to ponder the question he asks, in which only he can answer, leading him closer to discovering the depth and profundity of himself…or perhaps the anomalous world he inhabits. This poem suggests and implies that of the supernatural and has an otherworldly appeal, drawing out the murky obscurities of illusions, delusions and deceptions.
We then encounter the poem entitled, “Nightmare,” in which the state of Author Geza Tatrallyay’s lament subconscious unfolds tragic images of death and expiration as he elaborates on a terrible dream, like a mental plague, where he observes a young boy behind bars, expiring, only to watch the youth finally pass as he walks away.
It is indeed a chilling piece, disheartening to the soul, prompting many inquiries that surround the phenomenal realm of dreams and how these mental films intertwine with the psychology of the human mind. What does this dream mean to the Author?
Interestingly, Tatrallyay uses the word “expressionless” to amplify his ironic and heartless reaction towards the boy’s death, a scene most would inevitably succumb to with tears and bare-bone, anguished heartache. But not him, which speaks volumes.
In truth, it is extremely difficult to not like this book and we are absolutely in awe at the Author’s classic and eloquent writing style! His journey, experience, and knowledge of this world and the happenings recurring day in, day out, affecting the circle of life echo throughout the book, allowing him to share vivid stories, memories, and thoughts that display a genuine concern for life and humanity, as in the poem, “Scratch,” where he repeats, “We are men who drink the blood of men…We are men who drink the blood of men,” several times, over and over again.
Detesting this bloody truth, he sums the answer up in one final question; “Can’t we change the damned record?”
This outstanding collection ends with one of the briefest yet powerfully resonating poems in the book, “The Last Quake,” saying;
“Earth opened its mouth today, and almost died of laughter. Mankind panicked. And perished: victim of the mirth of earth.”
We are very glad to present this prestigious collection of poems with a 5-star rating and can honestly say this is one of the best poetry books we’ve read, far from your average run-on-the-mill poetry!
Bravo, Author Geza Tatrallyay! Everyone, we hope you get your copy today!
This book is available for purchase at