January 23, 2024.
R. M. Engelhardt's book, "RAW", is chock-full with an unbridled outpouring of expression. His book is a remarkable collection of poetry and as he states, "raw poems, words, opinions and emotion", leaving no stones unturned, it's an unapologetic medley of thought, driven by sentiment, and triggered by all sorts of interesting subjects so relatable.
He "pulls no punches", expressing deepest conviction and opinions without restraint and with unfiltered frankness, his themes of "raw humor", brutal honesty, dismantling verses of politics and government, down to the nitty-gritty, while penning powerful language we all know too well, his realistic understanding and strong perspectives certainly breathes life onto his pages.
One of Mr. Engelhardt's most distinguishing features is his insightful observations of deception and destruction in government and politics, fearlessly writing the flaws while shedding light on the "stupidity" as well as manipulative tactics employed by those in power.
He confronts harsh realities of the world and as many of us feel these same issues, he left me with deep reflection. His book made me want to get up and have deep debates with my friends about the "mess and stupidity" of our politicians as he so honestly writes, like his poem, "MERRY GO ROUND", politically critiquing commercialization and greed, rising prices and money hungry corporate entities.
R. M. Engelhardt writes a unique blend of raw humor and honesty, shedding light on the absurdities of his subjects while adding satirical tones making it more relatable and engaging, like his poem about "THE COMMON MAN", who writes poetry and doesn't give a "rat's ass" if you like his poetry or not...I emphatically laughed at some of his political rants, like "THE TORMENTED SOUL OF LITTLE DONNY TRUMP", (it made me think of an SNL script of little Donny).
His book isn't solely a collection of rants, it's also a celebration of poetry and life. Through his inclusion of poetic elements, such as metaphor, Mr. Englehardt infuses beauty and depth into his words. The juxtaposition of "RAW" emotion with his straightforwardness of his work, creates thought-provoking experience, simply put, in my opinion, is a collection of fearless, unfiltered poetry, offering glimpses of "RAW" everything and by not holding back, he takes us on and through his journeys of unleashed emotions, channeling unvarnished perspectives, encouraging critical thinking and left me with an ability to paint vivid pictures within the mind. His poems create a visceral understanding like no other I've ever read, totally immersed, the absence of cliche, adds to his authenticity, "RAW" is an absorbing read for anyone seeking an unapologetic musing of human experience and this chaotic world we live in.
R. M. Englehardt's book, "RAW" would make a great gift for that special person in your life who enjoys reading poetry. For your friends and others who may be interested, all of his books can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Original date reviewed by Aurora Soleil
content editor/reviewer December 17, 2023.
R. M. Engelhardt is a poet, writer and author whose work over the last 30 years has been published in such journals as Thunder Sandwich, Full of Crow, Rusty Truck, Writers' Resist, Dry Land Lit, Rye Whiskey Review, Hobo Camp Review and many others. He currently lives and writes in Upstate NY and his new books of poetry are entitled "Darklands" (Published by Whiskey City Press, 2019) and "We Rise Like Smoke Poems Psalms & Incantations" (Published by Dead Man's Press Ink, 2021). His new book of poems is entitled "RAW Poems By R. M. Engelhardt 2023"
You can read more about the author at Dead Man's Press Ink and more of his writing on his Dead Mans Press Ink Facebook Page.