Victor Stringer's debut poetry collection, Lingering Light: 80 Poems, published by American Publishers Empire on July 19, 2026, is now available worldwide on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover editions. The collection, which spans twenty years of writing, is organized into seven thematic sections that together form a cohesive narrative of a life lived with intense emotional honesty.
Stringer, a poet, veteran, and father, describes the unifying element of the collection not as a single subject but as a persistent voice that seeks 'something true, something that outlasts the moment it was written in.' This voice moves between the confessional and the philosophical, treating ordinary moments—a first kiss, a child's question, a night on a battlefield—with the same weight as extraordinary ones.
The book's title, Lingering Light, stems from the idea that certain feelings do not resolve neatly. They linger in the body, in memory, and in the quiet hours, waiting to be revisited. This theme is woven throughout the collection, which resists genre labels, blending romantic, confessional, political, and spiritual poems.
The seven sections of the book guide readers through distinct emotional landscapes. 'Love & Romance' opens with poems of desire and intimacy, including 'Being With You,' which travels from Central Park to the Eiffel Tower to a sunset in Montego Bay in pursuit of a feeling of complete belonging. 'Loss, Heartbreak & Emotional Darkness' confronts the aftermath of love, as in 'Two Sides of a Broken Heart,' where a man returns to a shared beach, holding the halves of a broken heart charm.
'Childhood, Family & Innocence' turns to fatherhood, capturing unfiltered moments like 'Daddy, Will You Blow My Chicken,' a poem built from a three-year-old's questions and requests, from the moon's hiding place to Spanish-speaking ducks. 'Spirituality, Reflection & Inner Peace' slows the pace, with 'Yogi Time' depicting a meditation in the woods that becomes an encounter with a golden light and a voice reminding the poet of unfinished work.
'Journey, Memory & Place' uses travel and landscape to process what cannot be said directly, while 'Identity, Existence & Philosophical Questions' delves into what remains of a person after shedding roles like lover, father, soldier, and believer. The most difficult stretch, 'War, Struggle & Warrior Energy,' includes 'A Young Warrior's Request!,' a poem addressed to politicians from the perspective of a soldier who must live with decisions he did not make.
The collection closes with a section of shorter, experimental pieces, including 'Irish Dancer' and 'A Pirate's Life for Me,' showing that even a book built on hard-won honesty has room for play.
Stringer's work draws on his experiences as a veteran and father, using vivid imagery to explore themes that are personal in origin but universal in reach. Lingering Light is available in Kindle, Paperback (ISBN: 9781971232577), and Hardcover (ISBN: 9781971232584) formats. For more information, visit the book's Amazon page at Amazon or the author's website at victorstringer.com.
