The Drum That Beats Within Us by Mike Bond.

I did not finish this book of poetry. However, according to my Kindle device, I read 85% of it. I was intrigued by the description of the book and appreciated the cover photo. The author's history as a celebrated fiction author added to my intrigue.

Unfortunately, I found elements of the preface to be off-putting. The author seems to possess a set of rules about what is and isn't (right about) poetry (this is a large umbrella covering a variety of subjects). The author then proceeds to do some of the things he says that poetry shouldn't be. This soured me on the work, casting a shadow over it. I may have appreciated the work more had the preface not been in the back of my mind while reading.

Select poems felt awkward and/or like they were trying too hard to be or do something and came across as artificial. A glossary would've been helpful, as it seemed as if I had to look up words on every other page. I also struggled to find the meaning of and in many of the works. Cousins the author appeared to rail against in the preface.

I found the mixed messaging confusing and didn't care for the religious references (which, again, contradicted my interpretation of the preface). While I enjoy experiencing other cultures, the inclusion of Native American beliefs and history threw me.

At the end of the day, I found it challenging to get through the book. I made it a point to persevere and cross the finish line, but ultimately rethought it, asking myself, "Why?" I don't think this is a bad book, but like the landscape of America, the terrain explored contains peaks and valleys... and may cross a desert or two, which were dry and left me thirsty.

Overall rating: 2/5 stars

#NetGalley

Poetry is one of those genres that is hit or miss for me. This one was a mixture of both. There were some poems that caught my attention and made me yearn for more. Yet there were others that I did not resonate with. All of the poems are great in their own right.

You can tell the author is very passionate about his subjects and that passion is what grips you even if the passage wasn't your cup of tea.

Every person is dying every minute of every day. It's difficult to acknowledge this, but like many others, I’m sure, I felt these words throughout this entire collection.

It's the urgency to live and to live in harmony with nature.

The beginning starts with the imagery of cavemen and it truly goes back to the beginning of time, in a way.

Poetry needs to be easy to decode, Bond argues, and poetry has never had it as good as right now because of the great rock bands who sing it.
He is essentially omitting Kendrick Lamar and pretty much all the likes of other rappers.

Poetry is my passion and Indigenous poetry is very close to my heart. Although I was not born into an indigenous tribe, my sister belongs to the Hochunk Nation. I had high expectations that The Drum That Beats Within Us would portray the Native Spirit as a proud warrior. My heart was elated to see that the indigenous soul was present.

Mike Bond is a masterful poet. His pieces were moving and tragic. He did not shy away from controversial issues. Several poems brought me to tears such as “Paradise Ducks,” “Micmac,” or “Forests Dark of Elm”

His poetry felt like movies flickering across my mind. Old films, once lost, but recently discovered. Ancestors crying out for acknowledgment, finally hearing their voices amplified in Bond’s poetry.

Poems of love and death. The great spiral of life. “Like A Moose We Wander,” “Moon of Black Cherries” and “Out of Passion In a Time of Plenty” all left me in stunned silence.

Bond did not attempt to mask the torture and deaths that many tribes experienced in poems such as “Children Scalped” I felt the depth of loss in the stolen lands in “Manhattan Elegy.”

The words wound their way around my soul so that I needed to read them to my husband. It became a series of poetry readings no one asked for, but I couldn’t help performing.

After reading the poems aloud, I realized that this book should be included in any speech team’s repertoire. The poems in this book are perfect for competition. There are bridge poems and primary poems for high school or even university level competition.

I felt the drum of Bond’s words beating in my soul. Love, betrayal, tragedy and redemption. He didn’t miss a beat.

As the last poem left my lips, I knew that this book was going to make a difference in the poetry world. It will give voice to the voiceless in a way that the message will be welcomed by all.

Thank you.

A beautiful collection of poetry about natural wonders and more. I wish there were images to go with each.

This book was sad bit romantic. It was such a sad truthfully look on nature and life. I had so many different emotions while reading this collection of poetry. I look forward to checking out their other works.

Lyrical and unexpected. But this was not in the style I anticipated and was not as focused on the landscape and nature as I had hoped. A deeply personal and heartfelt book of poems that sometimes lack optimism but always searches for a gritty truth.

The Drum That Beats Within Us connects universal beliefs of sharing a heartbeat within the earth. Mike Bond understands nature leads us in everyday movements, travels, and actions. All intertwined into the energies and constant motions of the universe, space, and environment. So, he uses images and ideas to explain his personal connections to the powers of nature. His ideas are unique to his locale. His explanations are poetic. Though the uniqueness of each idea relates to common experiences, only his perspective can be identified. His heart beats as though a drum is echoing its vibrations from the center of the Earth. Nature provides his place to breathe and exist.

Thank you to Mike Bond and Big City Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

Poetry is new to me. I have a handful of poetry books that I will pick up every once in awhile, read a few and put it back. I would like to learn how to read them with more intention and reflect on them. The poems in The Drum That Beats Within Us was perfect for that. The words brought physical and emotional feelings for me. Some of them I wanted to pasted on my wall as a reminder or share with a friend that came to mind. These are beautiful poems and I appreciate that they weave in both familiar and unfamiliar objects and places. Sometimes poetry is too abstract and I find myself asking, what did I just read? Understanding that is the point sometimes, this one was balanced with simplicity while leaving room for my imagination. I will definitely be returning to this one often and recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not totally sure what I'd expected from this poetry collection, but given the name and cover, I think I was expecting more poems that connected humanity with nature. What was instead presented I believe is more of a greatest hits collection? To me, the flow of the collection wasn't quite there - that's not to say the poems were bad, but for me some of the ordering choices were quite jarring. Overall, it was a pleasant read, but not one I found really speaking to me in the way I'd been hoping for.

Personally, I found the poetry not to my taste. I am not a fan of rhyming couplets and it felt a little stilted and at times quite dated and juvenile. That said, I enjoyed the themes and the book had a wider ranger than I expected/

This is a really beautiful collection of poems. The poetry didn’t resonate with me as much as I thought it would. There is a Native American focus throughout the book. I don’t believe the author is apart of that culture, so I do wish that focus was on another culture, perhaps his own. That aside, it was a very thought provoking read.

I read these poems aloudfelling their rhythm like a dance, a drumbeat with power. Truly enjoyable poems I will read over and over. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read them.

An absolutely beautiful collection of poems that will stir something inside you.
I definitely want to read more by this author.

Another stunning collection of poems by Mike Bond. Circle of life, native lands, nature. Human nature to be specific.

My favorites are:
Rooted in the Heart
Sorrow
Nothing
The Mind Sees Itself
Most Evil Thing
Hooker

Thought provoking and humbling, these sets of poems are written in a way to digest and ponder their meaning before rushing to the next poem.
The beginning has the authors thoughts and point of view, was interesting but could have been left at the end of the book.

Each poem is not to be read quickly, you must take your time and pause, even if you want to read in one sitting. These are sets of poems better read individually or in small amounts at a time.

I really enjoyed the poems in this book, this is the first time I've read from this author. Some poems you had to read again just to feel how powerful it is.

This book caught my interest because of the cover. However, I did not identify with any of the poetry. I thank NetGalley for the advance read.

I am really grateful to have came across Mike Bond's poetry. Their work speaks authenticity to me and resonated with my soul in a way I haven't seen since my angsty high school days. I especially loved "May I meet you there" and felt the need of dedicating it to my husband the way one dedicates a song. I printed it off (with credit of course) and added it to a picture frame of our wedding. I'm really interested in engaging with more of Mr. Bond's work now.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free e-book to review. This review is my honest opinion.

I truly enjoyed reading this short book of poetry by Mike Bond. Some of the poems feature connections with nature, but war and death are explored, as well as other thematic topics. I liked the occasional playfulness with the meaning of words. Some of the poems started in a way to pull your mind in one direction only to later turn attention elsewhere. Brilliant and engaging writing!

I highly recommend this collection to fans of poetry that has a message about the human spirit and trying to find meaning in our lives.