This struggle of balance between dark and light is at the heart of “This Broken Home”, the newly published Wheelsong work of Brandon Adam Haven. A complete dark thriller exploring the darkest stygian depths of despair at the surface, an undercurrent of redemption lies at the heart of the book. Written with such an exemplary and exciting emotive spirit, this tension perpetuates the turning of the page to see what is next!
“This Broken Home” elevates emotional themes started within Haven’s last brilliant work “Into The Grey”. His life experiences overcoming crippling addictions, near death health issues, and diminishing personal loss fuel his poetry into a supernova like heat that often burns with every word. Haven’s effort is both captivating and relevant to anyone coping with this existence.
In addition to poignant poetry, the book explores haunting themes within three entertaining short stories as well. Adding a surprising dimension to the writers work, quick zingers such as “The Tale Of Marybelle Lynn” suggest shades of Edgar Allan Poe within a tragic haunting love story of a troubled man and a beautiful apparition.
“The Orchard of Montery ” is a complete to be continued frightfest of a demonic scarecrow that harrowingly murders a family moving into a haunted house. Also, “The Cleansing Of Monieden” offers a quick tale of an island kingdom that celebrated its own health by drowning the disabled, only to have them return from the dead to vengefully return the favor.
Haven’s ability to capture suspense by delightful yet frightening uses of characterization and detailed actions within extremely creepy settings make his macabre stories fabulously enjoyable.
His assembly of poems carry the book to even higher heights with offerings like “Where Time Froze”, which extends the metaphors of the book’s title with lines like:
This crumbling home so bare and amort
Succinct with frozen smiles and imputed faith
They endure through time spoken softly
Denigrating to the core with silent decay
The use of words like “decay” “faded” and “grey” continually reflect the authors affected condition throughout the book in poems such as “Back Into The Grey”, “The Necropolis Of Solitude”, and “Lost In Time”. The complexities of reconciling loss are explored in diverse angles as well in gems like “The Glowing Cinema” and “The Carousel Of Dreams”.
Havens poetic imagery and superlative emotional navigation continue to soar with ambitious forays into expression like “Far Harbor” and “”Amber Night”, the latter which glimmer with the following golden nuggets lines:
I dashed to earth the summer air
Charmed by light, whisper and motion
Let me dwell by the frenzied lair
As I continue forth my notion
The succinct dark poetry breathes so heavily throughout this work, it almost supersedes the other more prevailing elements of hope. A redemptive spirit begins to take shape from the middle to the end of the book in such showstoppers as “Visions Of Angels”, “Scarlet Leaves”, and “Afraid Of Dying”.
More than merely poems, Haven’s diverse turns captivate the reader with what the author no doubt experienced nearly dying upon a number of occasions . They come out of his own relations with life and death and all the shattering realms in between.
Stand out redemption poems such as “Awaken”, “The Amorist”, and “New Day” solidify an unseen foundation on which the author built the dark structure of this collection. The following phrases from “Awaken” suggest an ascent from the prevailing abyss…
I loathe rise and glow in such a glimmering shine
Love and hope, chisel away the stone of my heart
To many tears lately I’ve shed
Now for hopefulness to embark
In addition to the next level poetry and prose Brandon displays, the accompanying illustrations accentuate each poem and story. Pictures taken by the author himself provide a focused visualization into an image of what each work symbolizes. These images really carry the book, and excite the imagination.
“This Broken Home” not only illuminates Haven’s elevated progress with narrative and poetic forms, it also allows us an insight into even higher heights he has yet to achieve. Brandon’s is a completely original style that is not only enjoyable to read, but challenges the limits of our very souls with masterful expression and extensive knowledge of the poetic craft.
For Brandon Adam Haven, this book represents just another riveting halt along a long winding road of original perspective and interpretation of what life has to offer… with many stops to come of awe-inspiring views of life along the way. These voluptuous vistas of future work will be well worth the wait, as Haven continues to grow and mature to the enjoyment of today’s modern poetry world.
Matt Elmore
You can purchase your copy of Brandon's new book by clicking on this link or by emailing Wheelsong Books.
I’m immensely grateful for the time you took to do this my friend.
ReplyDeleteThis book deserves this kind of write up… it’s a fantastic book!
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