THE MAD RAMBLINGS OF A JOKER
By Brandon Dillon
Publisher: Paper Airplane Publishing
Pub Date: January 24, 2021
Pages: 156 pages
Categories: Poetry / Psychology / PTSD / Veteran Stories
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+++ BOOK BLURB +++
Poet Brandon Dillon makes his debut with The Mad Ramblings of a Joker, a brutally honest collection full of metaphor and vibrant imagery. His work covers topics such as PTSD, depression, and heartbreak, and softer moments of hope and reflective peace.
His poetry is deep and unforgettable, a beacon for a dark world that needs a friend to say, “I’ve been there. I understand.”
PURCHASE:
+++ REVIEW +++
Poetry feeds the mind and enriches the soul.
I don’t know if someone more celebrated than I am coined that phrase, but it came to mind as I finished reading this collection of poems from Brandon Dillon.
A single poem can take the reader on a journey from the beginning that poses a question or introduces the subject, then leaves them with something significant to think about. A perfect example of that in this book is the poem Daydreaming. It begins, “Daydreaming, do you ever get lost in thought? I mean really lost, lost in a state where hours pass in a blink?”
Following that opening, Brandon ( Since he bared his soul to me on the pages of this book, I think we can be on first-name basis 🙂 ) shares in several lines what he thinks about when he’s daydreaming. The last two lines are, “Thoughts of the past, the future, the now, and the never.” Still posing somewhat of a question for the reader, before ending the poem with: “Thoughts bring upon a never-ending, ever-changing, and always bittersweet story.”
In a way, this entire collection is a bittersweet story of Brandon’s emotional and mental highs and lows as he deals with the issues that he’s faced in his life. It is often said that a poet is a tortured soul, and that’s what I thought of as I read this collection. But I also see him as a hopeful soul.
While the subject matter is often rather dark, the poems flow with an easy grace and rhythm and can be enjoyed for the craft, as well as for the thoughts that they provoke in us as we read. And there are moments of lightness in the poems. Like Grateful, a poem in which Brandon reminds himself to be grateful for the good things he’s had in his life, with a repeat of “I need to remember to be grateful.” That’s a reminder many of us need.
Remember to be grateful.
In Close My Eyes, Brandon shares the joy and beauty he sees when he stops looking at the world and look inward. Sometimes we need to do that, too. Step away from the chaos and violence and go within, to a place of peace. A place of self-comfort. It’s okay to be there for a little while. It can be so healing.
A poem starts with the poet, but it always ends with the reader.
Another truism about poetry that may have already been said before, but I’d like to claim it as mine for the purpose of this blog post. These poems mean so much more when they touch someone’s heart and mind, and I encourage you to be touched. You won’t be sorry.
+++ ABOUT THE AUTHOR +++
Brandon Dillon is an award-winning poet who writes from the soul about his life as a child born into poverty, his travels around the world as a U.S. Marine, love won and love lost, and the trauma that life brings.
If you ask him his biggest accomplishments thus far, he will tell you they are the laughter and tears of the audience as he reads his words on the stage for them. He is amazed when people feel his emotion and in turn show him their emotion.
He has twice performed by invitation, reading his poetry at the FASOLT Fine Arts Expo, and has participated twice in “Color: Story,” a collaboration between poets and visual artists, winning first place in 2019. When he is not working or taking care of his two sons, Brandon frequents open mic readings for poetry and all genres of writing with the group Writespace and performs at open mic and slam poetry events with the group Write About Now, at times reading something he just wrote that day.
He is never far from his notebook, fitting his writing in between shifts at work, kids and homework, and sleeping. Brandon lives in Houston, Texas.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
ONE WINNER:
Autographed copy of The Mad Ramblings of a Joker
+ leather journal (5.7” x 8.5”)
US only. Ends midnight, CDT, April 26, 2021.
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FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, or visit the blogs directly:
| 4/20/21 | Notable Quotable | Hall Ways Blog |
| 4/20/21 | Review | Missus Gonzo |
| 4/20/21 | BONUS Promo | LSBBT Blog |
| 4/21/21 | Excerpt | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 4/21/21 | Review | Forgotten Winds |
| 4/22/21 | Review | It’s Not All Gravy |
| 4/22/21 | Top Five List | The Clueless Gent |
| 4/23/21 | Author Interview | Texas Book Lover |
| 4/23/21 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
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Thank you, Maryann, for this beautiful and gracious review.
You’re welcome Linda. Thanks to you for giving the book a publishing home.
What a terrific review! Sounds like the poems are really thought provoking. Thanks for sharing!
Good poetry is always thought-provoking. In my mind, that’s what makes them so great. Unlike reading an entire novel to get to the take-away, a reader gets the message in short doses.
Thank you 😊
You’re welcome. Happy to help promote your terrific book of poetry.