This collection of thirty poems by novelist D.K. Sanz spans decades throughout the author’s personal journey. From the soothingly peaceful to the bizarre, Sanz runs the gamut of complex emotions that will resonate for many. The poems are poignant—honest, open, and straight from the heart, heartbreaking and with humor, embracing light and dark, hope and despair, triumph over adversity.
She writes:
Oh, for the beauty of the melody,
The harmony sprinkled about.
He is but a glowing midge
Longing to play an Aeolian harp,
While holding you still and entranced
With the celestial beauty of a god.
Ah, but for the pain!
The seraphic master sets about casting shadows
So that I cannot see the sun,
Leaving but a vista of tomorrow’s joys and treasures.
The current focus becomes a precursor
Along the predestined path,
A traverse on the bridge.
That’s my all-too-rigid honeybee,
Leaving me with a concave and sunken universe,
A hollow path in my heart and my soul.
A Dark Rose Blooms also contains an excerpt from her novel Shattering Truths.* We meet the protagonist, Danielle DeCorso, as she tries to cope with a devastating event she can’t fully remember. She struggles in isolation and despair, as her perception of what she does recall differs from that of her cousin and her friend.
*Trigger Warning: The subject matter of Shattering Truths is rape and its aftermath.
REVIEWS
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Customers praise the poetry collection’s rich descriptions and consider it a work of a true poet. The book is described as beautiful and heartfelt, with one customer noting how it captures both lighthearted and deep emotions. Customers find it easy to read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars a poem like “Departed” keeps sticking to the mind like the memories …
A Dark Rose Blooms is certainly an interesting read. Even while I’m not really a poetry reader, a poem like “Departed” keeps sticking to the mind like the memories of real love. “Alone” lets the reader almost feel the tension between turning off a love song on the radio and the quiet that follows, when you hear your own cough; every beautiful thing is wrapped in these subtle contrasts. The whole bundle reminds me of a thought I have on my mind very often: we don’t necessarily *have* to feel happy all the time – but we can still wonder all the time. Because it is “little things that mean so much”.
Sometimes things originate from a violent event (“Lady” is in remembrance of a friend who was murdered) but most poems are all introspection. In fact, although it’s poetry, it reads like a bunch of deep thoughts written down in a contemplative mood, who also happen to be poetic, like a side-effect of contemplation. “One Love” is one of my favorites. “Compassion for all – or we fall” sounds like it could have been my own anthem. Compassion is one of the most beautiful treasures we have, in this world. – BLI
5.0 out of 5 stars The work of a true poet!
The author has shared the depth of her feelings with the poems in this anthology. This is a collection of beautiful, deeply inspired poems. Each is carefully crafted to express exactly her sentiments and perceptions. Her lyric voice speaks with careful observation and passion: “I could listen with the stillness of the ocean before daybreak.” “We dwell in the body of the sculptor.” “Peering through the open space, all I see is blackness.” In the narrative mode she is masterful in reading life around her, “Bits and pieces of a strange, strange life go flashing by my eyes.” “Thunder and lightening make this night seem a battle of foes.” And, possibly the line that overlays the entire collection, “Don’t stop singing your life’s song.” The author possesses the sensitivity, insight, and soul of the true poet. Unlike some poetry that is often overloaded with needless affectation and picturesque fluff, this author’s language is carefully chosen, exact, each word helpful in building the theme of her poem. Her writing provides a primer on how to compose meaningful poetry. She has carefully selected the poems for this collection, each powerful, each precise in its intent. I await her next book. – Lou Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars and I strongly recommend this book to people who still search their souls …
A Dark Rose Blooms is one of the most intense books of Prose Poetry one can find in any library. One is drawn into the poems and the meanings behind every line, and feels that one is looking into the soul of the poet! Each poem evokes memories of fragments of one’s own life entwined with a yearning for the yesteryear as well as for a glimpse into the unfolding future. The poet has certainly drawn from her own life – yet because of the intense emotions swaying from one end of the pendulum’s swing to the other, one can’t help but wonder what the actual life of the poet has been! This book is a very small one, but in stature it is as towering as Mount Everest and as massive as the Rock of Ages! It deserves the Five glowing stars I have awarded it without an iota of doubt, and I strongly recommend this book to people who still search their souls because they have one! Very well written! – Deepak Menon (Author) Dehradun, India
A Short and Potent Book of Heartfelt Poems
I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful collection of poems featured in A Dark Rose Blooms. I have always greatly admired those who pour their hearts out in poetry, because in gives an insiders view of important moments and emotions within a person’s life. This book captures the lighthearted and fun moments as well as a few deep, solitary, and sometimes quite dark moments. I’m appreciative to have read it, and the excerpt for the author’s novel has me excited and intrigued to read the first book. I’m looking forward to many more works from this author, and can’t wait to know what is in store, next! – Laurie Kozlowski | Book Escape Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry Is Rich In Description and Meaning
I’ve been a lover of poetry since I was a child. I love how the poet reaches deep inside their souls and hearts to express their inner most thoughts about life, love, and tragedy. The author does all of this in her debut book. The poems are rich in description and layered in meaning.
She has the ability to convey to the reader some of the most complex thoughts into words that truly reach our hearts.
A bonus is we get an excerpt from a book she is currently writing. She has a beautiful style and the excerpt is also rich with her writing. It’s obvious she has a high skill level in this area. I look forward to purchasing the novel she is working on. I hope she decides to release it soon. – Love Books
Beautifully written from the authors heart
Beautifully written from the authors heart. It is a joy to read. I feel her passion while I am reading her poetry. ♡♡♡ – Laurena Stanley
Excited to see more from this author
I enjoyed the beautifully written petty in this book. It touched my heart. There is an excerpt in this book of a novel the author will be releasing soon that gripped me immediately. I cannot wait to continue the read! I highly recommend this book. – Vicki Kulberg
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is truly a treasure
So many of the words, phrases, and ideas in this book touched me deeply. I couldn’t stop reading until I had enjoyed every poem. – D. Terrell
5 out of 5 stars.
Found this author through a friend’s blog story about the book. Loved the poetry. I wish there was more in it. Interesting to see a woman’s point of view in how the world looks. – Anonymous
5 out of 5 stars.
This poetry book is amazing. The author is very talented. I will definitely read more of her books. – Anonymous
5 out of 5 stars.
Loved the poems. Author has big time talent. The excerpt was great too. Will read her novel when it comes out. – Anonymous
Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2015
Wonderful! Inspiring! Amazing! – Jolly Sailor
5.0 out of 5 stars This author is a yet-to-be-unearthed diamond in the world of writing.
All her books, including this one, touch your heart because her writing comes straight from the heart. Anyone who has read her books couldn’t be disappointed. Don’t take my word for it, go to her page and read samples of her books. She has the gift of writing and I hope that literature world would keep benefiting from it. Wishing her all the best for her future books! – Bookish
D.K. Sanz 