Ben Ditmars

I know the word "poetry" scares off a lot of people, so let's call this a collection of thought-provoking vignettes about our relationship with earth. And it is a relationship, deeply affected by our behavior.

Ben Ditmars has a gift with words and insight and empathy, connecting them in unexpected ways that make us think. Maybe we see a new perspective, or maybe we see our own perspective through his unique vision.

Within these pages is a love story, an homage to our planet. We also find a story of heartache, sadness, destruction, and carelessness. A plea, perhaps, to pay attention before it's too late.

*I received a review copy of this book.*… (meer)

When I was a teenager, I wrote an endless stream of probably terrible poetry. Then I took an English Comp class in which we were forced to dissect classic poetry by authors such as Shakespeare and Walt Whitman. No offense to fans, but my teenage mind numbed and the joy of poetry was lost in the pursuit to understand what, exactly, the author meant by each specific word. Sometimes blue is just a color, but not so in that class.

Poetry's intrigue was lost to me, aside from my continuing love of Edgar Allan Poe. Then I crossed paths with Ben Ditmars, in that way of social media connections, and I read a few of his poems. Then a few more. And suddenly I was a fan, not just of Ben, but of poetry once more.

The collection of poems in Splinters is what I'd call reader-friendly. You don't have to struggle to find meaning. It's all there, clear and to the point, and beautifully written. Some poems have a light, almost whimsical feel, while others delve deep into the shadows of humanity and heartache. These poems are thoughtful and speak volumes with few words. The book is short and the poems are short, but there's power here that lingers.

*I received a review copy of this book.*… (meer)

Ben Ditmars is a talented and skillful poet: I've followed his poetry postings for a while on his website https://benjaminditmars.wordpress.com/ - and this book is an excellent showcase for his writing. His poetry in Night Poems is beautifully written, and every poem contains a vast depth of meaning and emotion, expressed in very few words. The language is extremely expressive and Ditmars has a sense for rhythm and flow that makes his poetry even more striking.… (meer)