Human nature when confronted with blind awareness tend to panic and hope for the brighter side of darkness. We are gluttons for punishment if and when there’s the perception of no solution for applicable initiative. But human nature also lets us know that if there’s a will, there’s a way…especially when there’s legitimate analogies to draw parallel to certain topical issues with good copy. ‘Good copy’ in this case can be exemplified by the contents of the book, ‘Scratching for Daylight’. Wilbert Gibson is the author and knows quite a bit about darkness. He portrays the frailties of typical life struggles and strength using real life experiences.

It’s my opinion that a story should be an analogy illustrating a strong point of contention, and this book is an eye-opener with 13 poignant stories provoking self-examination. I asked myself what made each of the stories therein synonymous with each other? After further examination, I found it relative to the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes dealing with life within the boundaries of human experience where adverse conditions. I also surmised that Mr. Gibson went to great lengths in building a foundation for this stories to be enduring monuments where the control of destiny (or lack of same) can achieve a state of secure and lasting happiness — people laboring at life with an overblown conception of human powers and consequently pursuing unrealistic hopes and aspirations, albeit in darkness. To wit: The first one depicts Western Africa during the days of the slave trade. It’s a compelling ditty about the circumstances of capture and the horrors of the middle passage.

Then there’s the story of a gang banger, murderer, and prison snitch, who after twenty-eight years in solitary confinement, finally finds himself with God’s favor as an anointed servant. An epitome is like that, especially in the case of another man on death row and the situation that sealed his fate; You will read about parallels to light and dark and where one can go from corrupt to correct and from perseverance to purpose. It’s all here! You will find a frantic mother of a church pushing the panic button, who had resigned herself as a goner eventually finding solace from rays of hope. been given up on, and was on the way to her final resting place. Through the vision and vigilance of an old Deacon, you will witness that blissful paradise of the New Jerusalem, and my favorite one — ‘The Future of the Black Church’. This book delves into the raw struggles of human existence and it's ultimate meaning.

I loved this book because of its parallels of the profiles of courage that gave each story a day in the sun where darkness wouldn’t define them as failures. This is a good book to give readers what sacrifice is about and for the sake of struggle why some of the stories within reason doesn’t flow smoothly…they meander with jumps and starts, through the general messiness of human experience to which the author gives ample responses for light. There is also underlying, if not an intermingling of poetry and prose where Mr. Gibson uses both first and third person voices. Nevertheless, the book outlines reflections, at least in a general way, the reasons its main discourses. should be illustrated for illumination. I have no problems rating this book five stars out of five. Read it and be enlightened!