Martyrdom’s Passage
David Colin
Independently published (2025)
ISBN 979-8306940359
Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (12/2025)
Martyrdom’s Passage by David Colin is a product of the author’s deep dive inward, searching for answers to questions of faith’s mysteries, to humanity’s blind and incomprehensible pursuit of belief. The collection is dark and thought-provoking, inspiring readers to revisit what we know and understand about God and our relationship with Him. The collection consists of 39 free verse poems reflecting the author’s frustration with our Creator’s persistence in remaining invisible, silent, and unresponsive to our pleas. This intimate conversation with himself offers us readers an invitation to peek at our own concerns, doubts, and questions about spirituality, the afterlife, and oblivion. However, although all readers will be able to relate to the topic of this collection, some might find the literary delivery of it difficult to read.
I loved the poignant and pious voice of the verses as it sets a dramatic tone that matches the passion and sentiment of the author’s pain. I loved the elevated vocabulary as it also takes me away from the mundane, elevating my mind into the spiritual realm.
David Colin did a great job transferring his passion onto each verse through elevated words, but also through the formatting of such words. All of which completes his art. However, I believe some readers might find this read difficult. But I encourage them to challenge themselves and read on to get the full experience of Martyrdom’s Passage.
I enjoyed the entire book and even identified my favorite to be “Subordinate to Thought,” as in my opinion, it grasps the full sense of my own experience reading Colin’s collection. I am including a shorter verse below as an example of the author’s beautiful work:
DELIBERATE SLIGHT
High upon an empyreal throne
Indifference’s slumber is interrupted
by the cries
of
unheard
Mortal-yearningDoes
Sovereign Evil
feigning
pious-virtue
ever
tire of
rejectingConsideration?
This one touched me as it reflects some of my own cries during a few dark moments in my life. It is then that our pain and despair open the door for doubt to come through and wonder if we are being ignored or maybe just crying to oblivion… How can this little verse take this reader back in time? That is the power of Colin’s skills, talent, and raw passion.
Martyrdom’s Passage by David Colin is a dark, challenging, beautiful invitation to dive within your soul and deal with the questions you dare not ask about your relationship with your Creator and your faith. A Must-Experience Read.