Welcome Darkness: Poetry (Life's Tree Spins On. . .) is a compilation of poetry by Aubrey E. Drummond that follows the passing of his wife, Kathleen. It has a strong central theme of longing, portrayed throughout the book. Some poems echo the voice of the African-American community and the struggle to find its rightful place in society. It reminded me of southern-style blues music at times, and there is a specific poem, “Write to Be Sung," that references his wanting to compose or sing a song. “What lyrics were I to sing," he asks the reader, “when all the time I wished to refute this?" He writes to show his dreadful longing and loss.

Aubrey E. Drummond is a Black writer and offers readers a different perspective of the world as seen through his eyes. His work, although it can be fun and light, is meant to be thought-provoking and complex. Welcome Darkness is rich in metaphor, and even the title suggests something about life after loss: that the world keeps spinning after the passing of a loved one, and that one has to welcome the world as it is now presented. Southern blues is about pain, truth, and survival, and this sums up Welcome Darkness perfectly. Aubrey's pain at losing his wife, the truth of this fact settling in and welcoming darkness, as it were, to live another day, to survive, is all reflected in Welcome Darkness perfectly. It is a deeply emotional book that shakes the reader's senses and feelings to the core.

Welcome Darkness by Aubrey E. Drummond is a collection of emotional poems about the dark realities of life and the author's late wife. The book delves into the plight of Black people, covering issues like oppression, how interracial couples are treated in society, and divisions caused by people who do not care. The author shares his feelings of grief and the pain of losing his wife, but also talks about how lucky he was to have known her and shared a life with her. He talks about mental turmoil, the loss of control, and feeling lost after a tragedy. He also shares personal thoughts about different aspects of life, from the unexpected loss of a loved one and the trauma of first memories, to a life of misery and poverty, and finding solace in writing. Lastly, the author covers the current political situation in the United States, covering the political chaos, threats to civil liberties, and societal division.

Welcome Darkness is a new collection that shows a different side of Aubrey E. Drummond. The imagery is vividly dark and full of hopelessness, and it makes you think about everything that is wrong in the world. The poems are divided into four sections, which makes it easy to understand the themes or topics covered in each part. The author touches on a bit of everything—even the trees that are being cut down unnecessarily, social injustice, and discrimination. The poems on grief and mourning deepen the despair as they are relatable to anyone who has ever felt the pain of loss. The book makes you realize that things keep getting worse and feels like a call to action to take steps to change our circumstances. Poems like 'Out of Shape' point out the damage we cause to ourselves if we just sit still and do nothing, and in 'Are We Robot?', you can feel the author’s frustration with all the ways we get pushed around or trapped in someone else’s game of manipulation. It doesn’t matter if it’s depression, grief, society’s pressure, or even the government dropping the ball; these poems keep pushing us to stay strong and not give up on humanity or ourselves. Great work!