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Nightmare Need
Collection of macabre poetry.
69 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
19 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Payne Brennan
137 books36 followersJoseph Payne Brennan was an American writer of fantasy and horror fiction, and also a poet. Brennan's first professional sale came in December 1940 with the publication of the poem, "When Snow Is Hung", which appeared in the Christian Science Monitor Home Forum, and he continued writing poetry up until the time of his death.
He is the father of Noel-Anne Brennan who has published several fantasy novels.
He is the father of Noel-Anne Brennan who has published several fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 20, 2022
This is the best collection by Joseph Payne Brennan, better than "Creep To Death", "A Sheaf of Snow Poems", "Sixty Selected Poems", and "Edges of Night". One or two poems from "CTD" and "Sixty Selected Poems" appear in this, but mostly these are poems which are not to be found anywhere else.
"Black October"
The leaves of many an autumn lay in dust;
No friends were left that I could love or trust.
And yet that black October I returned
To where my hopes and heart had brightly burned.
The wood I walked was grey with rising mist;
Branches clutched like wraiths at heel and wrist.
Far in that haunted forest of my years
I sought some last reward of better years.
But the dim woods and the dark pressing skies.
Revealed no thing at all that I could prize.
The mist was a mask for my bitter grief
And my heart turned dead as a black autumn leaf."
These cheerful poems are the fine chocolate of pessimistic poetry. A five star collection.
"Black October"
The leaves of many an autumn lay in dust;
No friends were left that I could love or trust.
And yet that black October I returned
To where my hopes and heart had brightly burned.
The wood I walked was grey with rising mist;
Branches clutched like wraiths at heel and wrist.
Far in that haunted forest of my years
I sought some last reward of better years.
But the dim woods and the dark pressing skies.
Revealed no thing at all that I could prize.
The mist was a mask for my bitter grief
And my heart turned dead as a black autumn leaf."
These cheerful poems are the fine chocolate of pessimistic poetry. A five star collection.
August 1, 2022
I really enjoyed most of the poems in this collection, but a few just didn't connect with me, for whatever reason. Still, it was worth reading, after one of my coworkers offered to loan it to me. I had only read a little of Joseph Payne Brennan's work before this, individual stories and poems here and there, and this collection let me see a little more of his literary thought processes.
That said, I'm not going to rush out to find his other poetry, but this was interesting and enjoyable. From other reviews, this seems to be sort of a "best of" collection, but if I stumble across others, I will pay more attention as I read them.
That said, I'm not going to rush out to find his other poetry, but this was interesting and enjoyable. From other reviews, this seems to be sort of a "best of" collection, but if I stumble across others, I will pay more attention as I read them.
October 9, 2019
A keystane in macabre poetry, and so much more. No punches pulled. Essential reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews