As I have said before, I am very persnickety about poetry. I am not a fan of free verse poetry and I'm not ashamed of that. It is very hard for that kind of poetry to hold my interest. In "Blood Dazzler," the majority, if not entirety, of the book is free verse. However, the draw to this book by Patricia Smith isn't only the structure of the works inside, but their themes. The book is inspired by and based around arguably the most destructive and fatal storm in U.S. History: Hurricane Katrina. I remember when the storm hit in August 2005.  I was in Washington D.C. for a family wedding. I remember seeing live shots of the devastation on the national news channels. I remember how unexpected the strength of the storm was. I remember having a deep conflict between the jubilance of the event my family and I were there to celebrate and the concern and sympathy I had for those in New Orleans. However, any sadness or similar feelings I had at that time couldn't, and to this day doesn't, compare to what those people felt who were experiencing it personally. Their homes were being destroyed. Their friends and families were being killed. Their lives were crumbling before them. "Blood Dazzler" will by no means allow us to completely understand those experiences fully, but it will be a start.