Loose Ends

There are some lines in the poem "Particles" that serve as a description for this lovely collection, taken as a whole: "think past particles/and fractal spaces/where words move." The section Light and Color lures you in with the subtlety of the light and color play of the prairie, before forcing you to "think past particles" and embrace color as a tangible, three-dimensional, solid thing. "Are we breathing color?" the poet asks and, later, talks about "rivers of blue sound" that invite you to "listen with your eyes." The collection, Loose Ends, is full of inventive juxtaposition that continually asks the reader to think differently about nature, about time, and about space. And, therefore, about relationships. It is a collection you will want to stay with for awhile, dipping in and out as time and fancy permit, " because there is a pause before arriving-" or finishing. "before finding a pattern." A collection you will want to return to, time and again.
—Joan Hawkins, School and Suicide, The Burroughs Hour

Brenda Linkeman's Loose Ends is like stepping into a Monet painting where colors become concepts and every line is filled with light.

With a style best described as “ancient master,” each poem is a meditation on an emotion, stripped down to its essence. Her poems, such as “Walking Into Water,” “Unspoken,” and “Sand Timer,” are filled with bare-bone wisdom that gently guide the reader to places of healing and peace.

Brenda's poems are part Taoist verse, part Buddhist Koan, and all masterfully written. Loose Ends is the book I didn't realize I needed and, much like a beautiful painting, I'll return to again and again.
—Chris Dean, Author, Co-Founder of Keeping the Flame Alive Press; Indiana Beat Poet Laureate (2025-2027)