River Dixon reigns in the writing arena. Hands down one of my favorite authors from the very first piece I ever read, this latest collection of poetry from him is no slouch. River shares twenty-seven of his dark, rich, deep-rooted poems. In fact, I had only two complaints… first, I had to read it in e-book as it is offered electronically exclusively and I prefer paper. Second. It’s too damn short. I love this author way too much to be teased with such a short collection… although, if I’m honest with myself, I suppose I’d rather read a chapbook than no book. So this is a half-gripe.

Every piece within was outstanding, as I expect from this author. A few of my favorites were “All My Time” which starts out with the lines ‘Spend all my time Searching for new ways To say the same old thing’ and ending with the hollow hope of one day having something of value to show for all these days of creating and re-creating. I personally identify with the vast majority of his poetry and this one contains the some of the same thoughts that worry me for my own art. “Scraps” paints a haunting reminder when we fail ourselves and others, even unintentionally, and the after-images left behind as a result. In “The Way it Was” I appreciated the extreme imagery of broken glass shredding one’s skin as reality crashes in on the fantasy world we wrap ourselves in while attempting to please those who watch. “There Was a Place” holds deep longing in memories of something special no longer held. Poignant and relatable. “Till Then” was my favorite piece in the book. Starts where it should: at the beginning, being molded with devilish care, cutting off parts and pieces of the innocent to fit a certain pre-conceived mold. And moving forward through time, realizing that they don’t need to continue cutting on you and shaping you because you are doing it to yourself now. It’s diabolical and unfortunately happens far too often. I speak from real experience here… breaking away from that sort of torture, that mind-circumcision, is very hard to do, and I fear impossible in many cases (in the mind’s eye).

Stellar collection and of course I’ll be slobbering for more morsels when they’re cast out for us. I’m giving this 4.75/5 because, damn it, I want a paperback (and I sort of recanted on the length). Highly recommended to those who appreciate dark modern free verse with the penchant to read the stories in between the lines.

Read more from River Dixon on his website thestoriesinbetween.com

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be a good writer: read.
~tara caribou