Michael DeBenedictis

Volume 5 Michael DeBenedictis

Volume 5 is a follow-up, in theme, to all of the four poetry and short story books that came before it. It is a collection of poetry - a blend of beat genre work and epic, longer scale Whitman-esque work, with an undertone of epiphany, insight, and philosophy - and short stories that either carry on the theme or storyline of previous pieces. Deft wordplay, parallelism, and a flow that bounces from rhythmic to run-on are all at work here. This collection is an extension of deeper down the rabbit hole introspective, observational material, as well as material reachable at the surface level, with implications that the roots of the poems' and stories' themes, and true soul, have sprouted much deeper attachments. Volume 5 is another labor of love and personal journal, of sorts, as well as being meant to serve as a catalyst to inspire others to dive further, think deeper, and reach farther.