Poetry isn’t a genre I normally read, but I made an exception for Dreams in the Womb because I had an enjoyable discussion with its author, Brandon Gene Petit, about muses on Twitter. I loved this book so much I held on to my copy.
It took me a few blissful hours to read Dreams in the Womb. In its introduction, Petit discusses the source of his creativity. He says he made the decision to write because he is, “…forever gratefully burdened with the pangs of inspiration.”
Many of the poems and stories in Dreams in the Womb are inspired by the author’s dreams. Some are dark, some are romantic, and some are just fleeting thoughts and feelings.
My favorite pieces in this collection are Redolence, Prisoners of the Moment, and Hello Again—the latter of which is beautiful, haunting, and sweet.
One of my favorite lines is in the last paragraph of My Mistress, Ocean:
“Some say that for one to dream of the ocean proves that they have subconscious desires with loose, flailing ends, and perhaps even demons gnawing at bones in the dark…..but….no, the ocean is my mistress, and at night she greets me on those starlit coasts and pulls me into braver quests with siren hands assuring.”
I also love how in Dog Ears of the Dead, Petit describes thumbing through books left behind by the recently deceased to look for “clues” and “symbolism,” saying:
“There are so many well-placed sayings and coincidences all too perfect…enough to satisfy my thirst for benevolent omens and metaphors transcending the melancholy.”
Petit’s work has a tremendous amount of depth. The emotions and feelings I experienced while reading Dreams in the Womb were nothing short of ethereal. I felt as if I were in a twilight zone dream state during the few hours it took me to read this collection.
Other collections by Brandon Gene Petit include:
Last Updated on November 30, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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