Mike Bond’s latest book of poetry, “The Drum that Beats Within Us,” is a deep dive into the past, present and future of America’s existence. He touches on abuses of the indigenous people who came before us, the sad history of their conquer and then relocation. He weaves into his poetry his own experience of various emotions of love, loss, pain, and grief.

My favorite poem in the collection is, “May I Meet You There,” a personal love poem addressed to his partner. I was particularly touched by the lines:

We’re all sentenced
To death, you say.
What greater victory
than to love another
far more than oneself.

Another touching love poem is “I Cherish You,” where Bond deliberates on the meanings of love and cherish and what is easier or harder to do.

I also enjoyed “Sorrow,” a succinct, three-line poem about grief that seems to never end. This was very relatable in my current season. Just hearing again from another enduring similar pain is a sort of relief.

“Homecoming” was an interesting poem about how things change over time. It specifically reflects on a childhood town, or people that you used to know, but as time proceeded, who they are now is unknown to you. It is a very interesting truth that you don’t realize. Somehow in your mind you imagine that when you leave a place, that it remains as it is and doesn’t change, however, as this poem points out, you are sorely mistaken upon your return.

Other poems Bond has written are dark and depressing. There are some that I disagree with, but there’s no need to throw out the entire collection because of a few differences of opinion. I believe the book as a whole of more than sixty poems is an excellent, thought-provoking collection with much weighty content. I fully recommend it to any lover of poetry.

I received this eBook free of charge from Big City Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.