Brandon Gene Petit

Behold the diversity of the human spirit as you enter a higher plane of existence; a place where good and evil take many forms and a search for fulfillment takes center stage. Here you may find mirrors of your own desires as you explore a multiverse of painful beauty and enticing mystery. A balance of rhyming and non-rhyming verse, this poetry collection attempts to combine the human with the divine, the modern with the archaic, and the simple with the complex. From sheer fantasy to love and spiritual struggles, the poet paints a variety of visions from a palette that defies categorization, speaking to the reader through vivid imagery and tales of emotional conflict.

Poetic works that pull you in, enticing you to explore the written word, and leaving you momentarily lost in a jungle of metered beats are the sort that are perfection to me. Leave your greeting card verse at the store. A book of poetry worth sinking your mind into is "Intrinsic Desires," by Brandon Gene Petit.

In a tone that reflects an intricate mind, Brandon offers moments in time, scenes of life, and instances of fundamental feeling. His work is rich with imagery, from twilight skies to lantern lit walls, cobblestone streets and naked, wet trees, all vividly painted before your eyes. His words express fluidly a mixed bag of emotions, from sadness and longing to heartbreaking yearning, despair and desire, pride, self contentment, and love. The poems work magic on the reader, enticing to pause and go deeply into each setting, taking the time to truly understand what is being said. Brandon invites you to go Beyond Summer, breathing the freshly decaying scent of the air, hearing the rustle of leaves, and feeling the glow of warmly lit windows from the outside looking in. He dares you to examine A Dying Breed, where you can witness the tormented soul of a vampire, enduring death, tormented by ingrained desires, a man with no master, and content in his ways. With a nod to the last page, Petit shares this, "We pass the torch to our better halves and sell our souls to a nobler craft." A poet, Brandon is a gifted artist at this nobler craft.

It is a different sort of poetry book; one that quietly offers to hold your attention and that will remain in your mind until it has you completely. Intelligently offering viewpoints you might not otherwise have come across, the work is darkly compelling and decidedly fresh. Take an unforgettable, neo-gothic journey, and expand your poetic horizons.

Heather Froeschl

Callaway, Virginia