My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away

by Dion Anja

Dion Anja's debut dark poetry book My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away explores the turbulence of pandemic through coming-of-age poems. Confronting anxiety, death, insecurities, isolation, and human nature, Anja makes sure her readers enjoy contemporary subjects written with classical elements.

In the wake of her poetry, Anja makes sure her poems become a friend for others.

The content of some poems can be sensitive or triggering for some audiences.

Genres: Poetry

73 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2020

About the author

Dion Anja is a poet, author, and a lover of all things uncanny. Weaving grotesque and ravishing characters into her writing, she hopes to lure you into the chilling landscapes of her stories. When she is not writing or reading, Dion can be found cuddling with her cat or taking long walks in the forest.

Reviews

[ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A poetic chaos (using this word in the best way possible) showcasing the messiness of being in a pandemic and more otherly experiences. It was such a wonderful read.
Although, at some parts, I found myself a bit confused with certain things, which knocked off a star.
Poetry is both objective and subjective, depending on the topic. Some poems were written in such a way that i feel as if only the writer herself could identify the feeling - or it’s generally my lack of experience in that area in life? It could be either, and neither are bad things.
I am excited to see more of this author’s work, and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for any new releases!

[Rebecca Crunden]

⚜ poetry review ⚜

long live your scars
so you may live too.

I love finding new poets! Very excited to read more of Dion Anja's work.

[Nadja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed.

[Victoria Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away is medicine for the soul. Dion Anja has a profound way of understanding the human heart and writing straightforward and uncomplicated verse to bring comfort, healing, love, and peace. At the same time, she grapples with themes of female power, loss, failure, redemption, pain, anger, and happiness. I loved the structure and the style – it's bold, inspirational, genuine, and encouraging.
My favorite pieces are The Last March (because of the lines: A part of me knew that this was a farewell…), My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away (because of the lines: The dust had already covered the pine tree I used to climb the last march), The Story of a Man Who Burned Himself (because of the lines: One was always zero, and a minus).
The author is so relatable; it's like she knows how your heart feels when you're searching for your place in this world. I am completely blown away with each poem, emotion, vision… each one hits me in a different way.

[mine. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Dion,
First of all, thank you for this present that you gave us. Proud of you! Your fingers are inspirational and, so your poems are. Please, don't let things stop you to write. As you say in one of your poems: "You are art!" Yes, "this is a mind gap and I belong here."

[Nick Iuppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, personal, and very moving, Dion Anja’s poetry requires re-reading and reflection, but it is very powerful stuff, beautifully stated, shedding light on much that has happened over the past year… and more.

[Roxanna Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!!! Each poem made me feel a various different emotions. I loved the way it was structured and I also enjoyed the style! I've found poems I relate to and others I didn't relate to as much but they were still so enjoyable to read! Over all Dion you made such a brilliant, beautiful, and inspiring piece and I love it!

[Lei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each piece draws you in deeper, and each piece evokes such personal yet universal emotions. Sometimes those emotions are uncomfortable, but you're glad for the company. That what reading this book feels like.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bushra · Rating 5 out of 5]

gonna order it this month as soon as I get my book budget. 💘💘💘💘

[Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start by saying I’m personally not too fond of poetry. There are some selections that I do love, but as a genre, I really don’t go looking for them.

That said: I really enjoyed this collection of poems! I have tow or three favorites tabbed on my Kindle. (I’ll update with their exact titles later) are my favorites. While a lot of them are written well, unfortunately, a lot of them felt like I was either not privy to some event, or I was unable as a man to understand some concepts or views that are entirely a female experience.

Word choice was exemplary! Kudos. Hope to read another in the future.

[Aren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, Dion Anja is a very talented poet. I was surprised to learn that this is her first published collection and that it was only worked on throughout the pandemic. The writing is authentic, speaking to experiences we've all had in such a beautiful way. I loved how no two poems looked alike since Dion was willing to try new ways of writing that don't look like the typical poem. Despite the modern approach to structure and language, the emotions expressed and the lyricism are timeless representations of humanity. The only note I have is that there were some poems that were difficult to read due to my dyslexia. Her poem "I AM ART" was one of those, since it was written as a large paragraph in all caps. I still loved it though and there were none in the collection that I was completely unable to read. Overall, this is a fantastic poetry collection that I will come back to time and time again.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).

[SheLivesAmongBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection that covers a great range of territory, from romantic relationships, to issues of identity and consciousness, to (in an abstract, wholly poetic way) geopolitics and gender politics. Many different eras of human life are evoked, moving from one to the next as though in a dream. The issues are addressed with no sense of editorializing, but with a sense of exploration and meaning-beyond-words that poety is meant to have. If you like the sensation of being reintroduced to images you thought you'd fully experienced before, and discovering a whole other side of them, this book is for you. My favorites included "The Center is a Pomegranate," "The Story of a Man Who Burned Himself," "Untitled Summer Feeling," "The Good Ladies," "The Last March," and "Sequence."

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ece · Rating 4 out of 5]

"clumsy but passionate collisions marked
our destiny, that bewitching minute
a single glance, shy one because Hell looked so good for you"

"oh, andy we can’t be together because the turmoil is too new
and the murders are too plenty
oh, andy they don’t even let us live."
(oh, andy)

well, i love reading poetry, analysing poetry, writing poetry, and i LOVE this beautiful dark poetry collection of dion anja. for the most part, the poems resonated with me very deeply, and i felt understood in this absurd age we're living in.
reading this collection was an emotional, exciting and interesting journey, i can't wait for her upcoming works!

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without a doubt, Dion has a unique talent to write poetry. She has a special way of communicating her feelings and emotions. While you read her words you’re transported to her imagination, and it sets your imagination free. There were some parts that I was a bit confused and didn't understand much, but that's poetry. Sometimes you don't have to understand it, just feel it and leave it moves you.

I want to thank Dion Anja for kindly give me a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

[Zoé · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this poet's writing. It's fluid, and very lyrical. They explore poetry and don't stick to what we are used to. I felt like they gave us a window into their soul and their struggles and their understanding of life. I also like the fact that we don't know when it's fiction or an autobiography.
This is modern poetry, but with a classic aspect to it sometimes.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Anja’s first published work is inspiring. Her poetry is loaded with flowing, descriptive language that stirs the soul, and has more than a little Classical touch. Unedited, raw, and reflective. It takes us through the journey of her year - and what a year it has been - yielding some true masterpieces along the way. A personal favourite is My Sentimental Muse. Emotions, memories, and echoes of a distant and not-so-distant past all flow throughout the work carrying it to its end. Overall this is a stunning debut for Anja and I hope to read more soon.

[Meds · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was lovely to read!

'The last March', 'Untitled Summer Feeling', 'Extra extra', 'The lake of ordeal', 'Not everyone can handle this poetry', 'death is a joyful evening' - These especially made me feel all the feels *chief's kiss*

In some of them I didn't really understood what was going on, but I'll definitely give the collection a reread, to unravel all of the mysteries inside them!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry can be a difficult form to read, let alone review; nevertheless, as someone who recently began writing poetry myself I try my best to read and review that of other first-time, often struggling, poets. So here I am.

Dion Anja’s poetry is certainly very different to my own serious, comic and often (I hope) ironic take on the world in which we live, and I didn’t find it easy to get to grips with. That said, written as it was in 2020, the year of global pandemic, the lack of comprehension in places mirrored very well the experience of someone whose world as they know it has been thrown into confusion.

Some of the poems, such as ‘Extra Extra’, made references to life during the pandemic, and with these I could identify. ‘sometimes I don’t try’ also had the feel of pandemic, with references to getting bored watching movies and skipping meals which sounded very like the experience of lockdown of many, including myself. Other poems, like ‘i hate summer’ had a more universal feel; summer may be a good time, but it has its annoyances also. ‘The Story Of A Man Who Burned Himself’ made ghastly reading, the narration of a personal experience of seeing someone who, pushed too far by life, chose to end his own in such an horrific manner. Elsewhere, however, the poems felt just too subjective, and understanding eluded me. But as the author says, ‘Not Everyone Can Handle This Poetry’; so I’ll take it as a positive that I could handle at least some of it.

[Shannon O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I personally try not to read anything specifically about COVID because I like to escape reality when I read, but this author reached out and I accepted. This collection starts off with a powerful foreward, “As an aspiring author, there is nothing magnificent in this world than to be felt by people through veins of words hanging around this globe of misery and pain.”. They did preface the collection saying it was unedited for the effect but personally I do wish it had been edited a bit more as some poems could be confusing. My favorite poems were ‘sometimes i don’t try’ and ‘sequence’. Overall the collection was good but could have definitely used some trigger warnings in the beginning, as it has a very dark tone.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I AM ART TWEETING EVERY POSSIBILITY"

I purchased this because I had seen it on Twitter, and I am so glad that I did. It's a brilliant piece of work by a young poet. I have to say that the second half of the book is especially stunning.

I've read more poetry this year at one time than any other time in my life, and this is one stands out.
I'll be eager to buy more books from Dion Anja in the future.

My favorite poem is the final poem in the collection: "poems to odene" - I could feel this deep within me, it transported me to a time in my life that I romanticize.

[Skye Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh! This was such a beauty to read. I have highlighted so many lines in this that really made me go 'thats it, that is literally it right there'. So glad to have read this and I'm more than sure Dion Anja will be going on to write volumes of poetry. "sitting in a cafe, I was not part of anything and yet everything shaped within me"

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life collection

A collection of poems about the way Dion Anna sees life while under the influence of the pandemic. I found this a most interesting collection. Some were poignant, while some were quite confusing. But in all they found the essence of the pandemic.

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful

This is a very visceral collection. I read it in two sittings, staying up far too late the first night. I loved the emotion in these poems it is often very hard hitting and made me take a look at some of my own strong memories they evoked. A great debut.

[teodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more of this asap😗

[joanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it harder and harder to review poetry now but I did enjoy this debut collection. Perhaps something was missing for me but I'm not sure what.
Good use of imagery and a wide range of vocabulary (beautiful and poetic). I appreciate the author's intent to leave the poems as raw as possible as mentioned in the preface. My favourite poem was "Untitled Summer Feeling".