Desire and Dust

Michael Dolce, author of Zero the Clown & a Lovely Garden of Flowering Weeds returns. In this, his second volume of poetry, Dolce touches upon the ultimate universal themes. What is the difference between love and lust? What does it mean to relate sexually and romantically with others? Are we defined by ourselves or by our relationships? Is monogamy a noble aspiration or a miserable myth? He tackles these questions with a tactless vulnerability and a mischievously na ve heart. He inspires as he offends. He shakes and restores faith. While he may become maudlin, it's never overwhelmingly so. And the honesty, sometimes brutal honesty, ensures the collection never gets sappy. Dolce plays wildly between love/romance/longing and reality/heartbreak. There's cynicism without delving into self-pity. There's hope without stupidity. It makes for a perfect anthology of contemporary love poems.