Poetry Book Review: The Drum That Beats Within Us
Book cover image from Anderson Bookshop
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.
If you like this book, check out these other poetry book reviews.
Sue Cook lives in Freeport, Illinois with her husband Randy and two dogs. Her passions include assistance dogs, rescue dogs, music, acting, theater, poetry, and Doctor Who. She’s been in both film and theater and is a regular cast member of the podcast Doctor Who’s Line is it….Anyway? Sue is an advocate for the use of Service Dogs to assist their disabled handlers to maintain their independence. Quigley’s Quest, her first children’s book, addresses how a dog becomes a Service Dog.
