Caffeine

by Steven Bruce

Caffeine is an intimate and evocative collection of poetry encompassed by the thoughts that keep us awake at night.

Award-winning author Steven Bruce returns to deliver haunting poems that explore the universal themes of love, time, grief, and mortality.

#1 Amazon Hot New Releases in British Poetry

Praise for Caffeine:

"Bruce writes with a brutal honesty few poets nowadays dare to confront. He is writing for every one of us who has been hung out to dry by the cruelties and complexities of our individual lives. And he does this using simple language that says far more than its simplicity suggests. There is a wealth of learnt wisdom in his lines of "lightning". Caffeine is a rare thing - it is a tombstone, a declaration, a reflection of an old soul, yet it is tender, and Bruce's poems make it clear that the only form of redemption we will ever find will be through love. It is quite simply beautiful - what poetry, in the hands of a non-bullshitter, is capable of."

─ Martin Hayes, Poet and Author

"Bruce has a rare talent to convey that raw emotion with such an electricity that you'll have to pause

to calm your trembling heart."

─ Steve Quade, Indies Today

"Poems that drift like pungent steam from a late night cup of coffee in an Edward Hopper painting. Here the economy of Raymond Carver converses over a counter with Lorca's Duende, the verbal flair of Barry MacSweeny debates in a booth with Robert Burns' Romanticism, and through their echoes comes the lived experience of a troubled past that turns the present into a fragile and precious gift. W.B. Yeats said, "We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but the quarrel with ourselves, poetry", Steven Bruce's new collection shines a creative light upon those inner voices that bicker during the Witching Hours." 

─ Dr Bob Beagrie, Poet and Lecturer

Genres: Poetry

102 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2022

Reviews

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, intriguing and excellent poetry

Many of the words took me to dark parts and 'Solace' and 'The Last Bus' resonated most with me. The loneliness, the darkness were brought out so well that it was a picture to be seen in the mind's eye. Some words like 'saccharine moon', 'inescapable midnight', especially 'tomorrow's promise of a fool' rang so deep with me that it was impossible to forget it.

Caffeine had me thinking about so many things and many were abstract and I could not identify the emotions that churned up, but the poetry was very well expressed.

I can even understand why it is called Caffeine. Dark, slightly disturbing and probably necessary to wake people from their slumber of unreality.

Enjoyed it.

[Jack Stan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Review for Caffeine:

Poetry written the way I like my coffee, dark with a little love.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't Miss It!

I loved this entire collection of deep and captivating modern poems, but the 14th of February really moved me.

Because Steven Bruce tells us a love story while simultaneously taking us on a vivid tour across continents, and within just 32 lines, he stirs our hearts to want to dwell as a single soul in two bodies, to be given yellow tulips, to hear Don Quixote read to us, and to find our pillows filled with lavender before our passports are stamped with a gravestone, I, like other reviewers, wish I could give this talented author 6 stars instead of a paltry 5.

I enjoyed every bit of this book, including the last few pages where the author uses dialect, spelling out accents to give the poems a kinda folksy tone and others a dark and creepy effect. You're going to want this book on your library shelf!

[Jackson Simiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Bruce's first poetry collection, "White Knuckle." And I can safely say that Caffeine is a worthy successor.

Bruce has such a beautiful way of shaping words into such emotional, moving thoughts and ideas. I cannot help but reminisce about my own life, my own circumstances, and my own mortality while reading each poem in this nihilistic yet subtelt beautiful collection about the limited time we have left to live.

The poems "Echoes" and "Caffeine" were stand out for me. I adored them and sent them to my loved ones in complete adoration of the word craft on show.

Loved, loved, LOVED Caffeine. Can't wait for more from this incredibly talented poet.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's wonderful reading a book where you feel you're in the hands of a writer who is at the top of their craft. Every poem in this book makes you feel that way. They give you a strong sense of the poet's deep life experiences; tough experiences that have been endured, tough experiences that give you an appreciation of the good side of life. Some of these poems need a careful reading, especially the last, but it was so worth it once you get into the flow of the poem.

[C.G. Jaquish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this Poet's Style

This is the second collection of poetry by Steven Bruce that I've had the pleasure of reading. The author understands the human soul and condition better than any I've ever read and eloquently puts it into prose that hits home with every line. Ten stars if I could, definitely recommend.

[S.S. Saywack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess to finding poetry hard to critique. I like words, I like the sounds they make, and I like the images they conjure when used well. With that in mind, I have thoroughly enjoyed these poems since they fulfil all my requirements. I’ll pick out two which I have particularly enjoyed: 14th February and The Procession. The first because its message of love comes across strongly and the last because the dialect, let alone the meaning, I found a joy to decipher (I’m not sure I entirely succeeded). There are some dark works here (Comes the Last Time) and many that stir the imagination. I liked Steve Bruce’s first book of poems, White Knuckles, and this one I find I like better. There is something here for everyone.

[K.E. Jaloussis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of poems that is both evocative and thoughtful. I hear the author's own experiences/feelings within this collection, especially around self, love, death, fear of death and life- provoking anxieties such as "wounded rhinoceros" and "thunder still rages across the battlefield hearts". The poems spoke to me and I love how the author allowed his vulnerable side to tell a story of many things in life. Like his first book "White Knuckles", I was not disappointed - a poetry lover's dream.

[Kayleigh Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection of poems

I will agree with another reviewer in finding it hard to critique poetry, mainly because poems are such a personal type of expression and there is no right or wrong way for someone to do as such. They are quite a dark and evocative set of poems, which, as the best writing always does, paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.
I look forward to more poems from Steven Bruce. Thumbs up

[Carole Mondragon Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although not written in quatrains, the style of Caffeine held for me, echoes of Omar Khayam.

Its preoccupation with death while celebrating love and life can be summed up in the following lines from one of the poems ...
"The child gazes up at me, eyes full of wonder, waves his sugar-coated hand in my direction. I give him an indecisive smile. I swear I knew him once."

Simply beautiful, yet deeply complex this is a work of art.

[Leah Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark inner workings of the everyday experiences and the mind, and as the author put it, 'imperfect perfections', all that makes us human. I really enjoyed the poem Fret. A great perspective into humanity, and the things that we fret about on a daily basis.

[Ruth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second collection I have read by this author and he is just getting better. This collection covers some hard subjects, but it is done very well and realistically, this is my sort of poetry, perfect for the modern world and reader. 5* all day long.

[Kjersten Faseler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had a love for poetry, but I’ve never read poetry like this that I could not put down. Dark and thought-provoking, but found myself smiling when I read several parts about his wife. A wonderful read… great work by this author!

[Mr Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caffeine: a poetry Collection. Is what you would imagine from the title and cover. It is an excellent compilation of dark but entertaining poems. I particularly like “Echoes” and “Solace”. But this is the sort of book you dip into from time to time. Well worth having on your bookshelf.

[Serlina Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection

Reading this collection one can find inspiration and encouraging. Found these pieces, as a fellow writer & poet, to be filled with emotions and deep thoughts. Love reading this collection. Thanks for sharing, keep writing your powerful thoughts down.

[Tom Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is definitely among the best of modern poets, and this volume is among his best too. Even the last poem, in a kind of brogue and broken up by formatting, somewhat hard to follow, yet just as powerful as the rest. I liked it and am very glad he is putting out the good poetry.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep dark and delicate poetry

I am a poet myself. I very much enjoyed reading these, many relate. The poem Fret was my favorite! Highly recommend you take a read and you'll find one that connects with your soul. .

[Julie Anne]

Thought prokoking

I don't usually read poetry, but when I saw this was dark, and I'm a fan of dark literature I decided I'd check it out. I loved how he addressed our frailties and mortality the way that he did. It was very thought provoking.

[Julie Mannino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. The old English was a little hard to read at first, only because I'm not used to it, but it gets easier. All in all, the poems were great, and this book is definitely worth grabbing.

[Hannah-Louise Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I’m not a fan of poetry, this collection really reflects the darkness of human emotion

[Jack Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy long review, i’ve a lot to say!!!
I read this collection in one sitting, and i’m glad i did. I had just got this book back from my friend who wasn’t the biggest fan of it and i wanted to discuss it with them.
This book excellently conveys perfect somber and dark tones throughout, with a bit of humour, yet i don’t think it loses sight of its message, time is short, don’t regret what you didn’t do in life and love it to the fullest, because one day your time WILL be over.
The flow of this book, the themes of the poems and the general persona, are amazing at conveying this line of thought throughout, i loved it and while the poems are sad, i was able to smile at the messages within.
My favourite by far was “The night, full of impossibilities”, perfectly preceded by “The midnight poem”, just had a lovely sense of longing, here are all the things we wish and worry over, powers we cannot control yet can only dream about how they might affect our lives.

Then came “The procession”. My note for this is that, while it being written in Scots was very impactful for the persona, it does make it harder to follow. In saying that, the poets message is still conveyed throughout. We aren’t given second chances, and we will have regrets, but we need to do what we can with our little lives so that we can be happy and fulfilled when our time eventually comes.

[Jamie Sheerin · Rating 3 out of 5]

first off - i read this all while listening to ‘evol’ by adrianne lenker which honestly i found very fitting and matched the book really nicely
anyways

this was a good read, i think ‘fractured’ was my favourite, it was just really great
all the poems were good, but i think i felt like a chunk of them were just… sad…
and hey i mean i love a good sad poem, but i guess i felt like some of them were sad, and they weren’t going anywhere with it? i have no clue if that makes sense, i guess it just felt,,,,, defeatist, maybe pessimistic? one of those kinda words

also
not gonna lie
i hit ‘the procession’ and became completely and utterly confused for a minute but once i stopped trying to figure out what was happening and went with it i thought it was good

[Jacquii John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book of dark and honest poetry which took me to emotional and sad places but also made me chuckle at times. The subjects of regret, death, mortality, grief and love are written in such a thought provoking, memory stirring and tear jerking way. My favourites are Solace, Waiting for the Last Bus, The Night Full of Impossibilities, Comes the Last Time and Caffeine.
When you finish the book, you can’t help but feel you’ve sat with the author, with a whiskey and a cigar and a really heart wrenching natter. 5⭐️’s from me!

[Georgina Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark and tragic poetry collection

This poet has a captivating style in his verses filled with mourning, loss, heartbreak, regret and nostalgia. These words read like the finest black coffee with many bitter tones.

My favorite poems from this collection are Echoes, Solace and Aphotic Fragment.

Some of the words in the poems feel reminiscent of other poetry collections I read and enjoyed. This poetry collection is best for teen and adult readers. Minor disclaimer for mature language.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And you exist to stay up late,
Sip whiskey, hunt down that elusive
Line of lightning.
And you realize the poorest of souls
Are the ones always demanding more,
And you accept your minuscule place
In the universe"

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This left a cavern of sorrow within my heart. It’s not so often writings make me feel something on such a deep emotional level. However profound this was melancholy aside from the two love poems (so sweet, btw).

[Khurram Elahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy Good

Second I've read by this author.
Caffeine and Fret are superb. Especially Fret, where in life we worry about so many things but a time will come when there is nothing to Fret about so i suppose we should be thankful we have something to Fret about!
He's a hard hitting poet, modern and clever.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

hopefully rtc<3

[Yoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved the first half ..the other half i could barely understand (prob non-native english speaker problems combined with the fact i didnt wanna google shit)

[Disha Singh ;) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐

This book is how I prefer my coffee mostly, dark, bitter, pinch of sweetness & comes in various tastes/flavours.