Book feature for National Poetry Month: Songs of the Dead

It’s National Poetry Month and what better way to celebrate this month than by reading some poetry?

To honor this occasion, I’d like to share some information about one of my poetry books, Songs of the Dead. This is my poetry book of dark and horror poetry. It was originally self-published under the title Topiary Dreams. Later, I revised and expanded the collection of poems and it was accepted by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. Unfortunately, GSP stopped accepting poetry manuscripts and now I am going to be self-publishing my poetry books once again. I am grateful to GSP for keeping this book available. 

Here is a sample poem from this book:

Shadow Dancer

Let the darkness be your guide.
Darkness. All.
Bring with you your memories.
Visions. Fall.
Dance the dance of forgotten thieves.
The wrongfully accused.
Bare your soul for all to see.
Hated and abused.
Shadows whisper, shadows dance.
But even shadows lie.
Enter the darkness
As your one last chance.
Lay down to receive Him.
Die.


The blurb:

  
Dawn Colclasure’s dark poetry collection, Songs of the Dead (formerly named Topiary Dreams), is not only dark, but passionate. Anger, fear, hurt and betrayal run under the skin of this work and shine through especially bright in poems such as No Turning Back, Deep Within and I am Madness. Colclasure examines the dark side of human nature; murder, drug use, violence, insanity and isolation. But, beyond the tales of death and darkness there’s also a message of empowerment; the voice of someone who has taken too much, for too long and has finally had enough.

Songs of the Dead is a re-release of the chapbook originally published in 2003 and with more than twenty-seven new poems; it has more than earned the title “expanded”. Colclasure has a flair for prose, with lines such as “walk on the moon and hear the stars breathe,” (from Death Shows my Pain) and different poetry forms stop the reader from falling into a sing song rhythm of sameness and help to keep the collection fresh and interesting, page after page.


Buy link


Happy poetry reading!