Baptized in Moonlight Poetry Book Review

Title: Baptized in Moonlight
Author: Morgan Scott
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Morgan Scott
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pub. Date: November 24, 2018

Synopsis:
In this collection of poems, Morgan Scott depicts the story of a young girl turned ferocious woman, and ties her growth to the phases of the moon. Written with the intimacy and unflinching honesty of an untamed spirit scorned and reborn, Baptized in Moonlight is a book for anyone who has ever felt as if the odds were stacked against them. Filled with painful acknowledgments of broken relationships – and the hope of a life lived with wild passion – you will dive to the depths and ascend to new peaks as you begin your own journey through the lunar cycle. This collection is part heartbreak story, part coming of age, part love song, and part battle cry. You will find yourself among the pages, and be spurred to get to know yourself on a deeper level.

---

 

Baptized in Moonlight is divided into 4 sections titled Waning, New, Waxing, and Full. Each phase of the moon (section) is tied to the authors growth, her journey, and things she has gone through. This poetry collection has themes of heartbreak, healing, abuse, finding yourself, spirituality, motherhood, self-love, and acceptance.

it is heavy
to carry my sadness
over my shoulder
every place i travel

and yet
she is the only consistent
friend that i have ever known

and there is comfort
in knowing
that she will never
leave me

no matter how hard i try
to release her

I really enjoyed this collection and read it in a few sittings, wanting to take it all in slowly. I loved how the author not only named the sections the phases of the moon but she also gave it definition. The poems in this collection are longer than what I usually see nowadays in poetry collections and I loved that too!! Morgan Scott really conveys her emotions and impact with her words. There are also illustrations sprinkled throughout the book which gave it an extra touch.

love is not slipping
not choking
it is not bending
as far backwards as your body can
until it breaks

love is not toeing the line
between anger and passion
worried that one wrong move
will land you in terror

love is not hiding yourself
trying to contort into his dream girl

love is not dumbing yourself down
to make him appear smarter

love is not not not not not not
the rush of air before his palm
strikes your cheek

so don’t believe him when
he tells you it is
because the picture he has built of love
is one that temporarily plugs his wounds
while ripping yours open

Although I don’t rate poetry books based on connection, I ended up really connecting with the poems and author. Specifically with her poems about god, spirituality, self (surrounding those previous themes mentioned). It felt nice to feel understood in that aspect. I really appreciate the author just being straight forward and not making it pretty. Poetry that is raw like this really gets me in my feels. I found myself dog earring (yes, judge me) a lot of her poems. Overall, I would highly recommend this poetry collection! Also, the author is super freaking sweet and you should check her out. Her links will be at the bottom!

women are born full
full of magic
and tenderness

our hands
and our hearts
have carried the weight of
the entire galaxy
for generations

we could tap into our
mother energy
and heal the world of pain
if only you would
move out of our way

Author Links:
Instagram
Amazon

---

That is all for today! Just a reminder to please support Indie Authors and their work! I hope you all have a great day xo

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

maroon daydreams by Cheyenne Raine Poetry Review

Title: maroon daydreams
Author: Cheyenne Raine
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

maroon daydreams is a collection of poetry that dives into experiences of healing, living life, daydreaming and all the aftermath of decisions we make and wishes we chase after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

loved this short poetry collection! i thought it was vivid with imagery and the words flowed together beautifully. cheyenne raine divides maroon daydreams into four different sections which are healing, experience, daydreaming, and aftermath. each section has poems centered around the sectioned themes.

what i love most about this collection is the way i felt while reading it and how i felt afterwards. cheyenne raine left me with feelings of hope, love, and self-reflection. she took her emotions and wrote them down with every ounce of her soul.

i thought this collection was very dreamy and magical. i cannot wait to read more by this author!

---

some of my personal favorites from the collection:

pressed flowers have dried up in between the journal
entries i created, they have the faintest scent of life. i
once wrote about you and how you managed to create
a resounding echo of bliss in my life. i once found the
words that embodied your untamed spirit and
described your captivating smile. once. now, there
are dead flowers that smell like the rain and small
entries that cannot grasp who you are.

– scent of life

---

i choke on cigarette smoke. i want to leave these
strangers, yet, their stories are so wild and unique.
so, i stay and listen. their eyes close as they
remember who they were and why they were rebels.
my eyes are wide with curiosity, waiting to hear their
words fabricate a tale of good and old times.

– they were rebels

---

i will rise,
my fists full of flowers
and my soul full of light.
isn’t is the gentlest of things
that show the most strength?
where the blossoms push through dirt
and the sun illuminates the dark–
there, you will find me.

– fists full of flowers

---

you make it easy to
believe in magic and light.
your smile is a million
ocean waves crashing
into my small soul.

– easy to believe

---

 

that is all for this review! cheyenne raine is a self-pub author, please remember to cross review on amazon! it helps us out. let’s chat in the comments!

---

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

Poetry Book Haul

Here I am with another book haul! I mean, did the title give it away? lol! As a writer of poetry who also has a book, I feel like it’s so important to support other writers in the genre as well. I also love to read poetry. I have found myself not feeling alone a lot of the times while reading others work. There are so many indie poetry authors out right now that I feel like their voices need to be heard. Some poetry isn’t for everyone and that’s okay! While some like dark poetry, others might like positive happy poetry and some just don’t like poetry at all. I hope you find something here that you may like! =)

The order goes by purchased date!
Titles link to Goodreads

• Honeybee by Trista Mateer
  Having been previously described as an “aggressively personal poet”, Trista Mateer takes this to heart and then to paper in her first collection. Presented more or less in the order it was written, the poetry in Honeybee is in turns bitter, tender, and messy. Following the course of a little more than a year, the poems showcased in Honeybee chronicle the on-again off-again process of letting go.
• The Princess Saves Herself in this One by Amanda Lovelace (Andrews McMeel)
  “Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we’re off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales.”
  A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. Explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.
• Empty Hotel Rooms Meant For Us by Christina Hart
  This collection of poetry focuses on dismembered loves, present and past, as past lovers aren’t actually in the past for the author. She carries parts of them with her, even though their hearts are no longer hers.

 

• Her Treasures by Fida Islaih
  Islaih shares her travel to Malaysia. She continues to share more of her thoughts on Palestine. More poems include her love for her sisters, faith and words.
• Tell Me Where It Hurts by J.R. Rogue
  Bestselling author J.R. Rogue returns with her second volume of poetry, Tell Me Where It Hurts, a raw, heartbreaking, and honest glimpse into the demons she has faced in her 33 years.
• Mad Woman by Kat Savage
  Author of Learning to Speak, Kat Savage, returns with Mad Woman whish is comprised of 40 pieces that capture her stream on conscious, her confessions, and her strange thoughts. In Mad Woman, she bears it all and embraces her madness driven by loneliness and disappointment.

 

• soft magic. by Upsile Chisala
  ‘soft magic.’ is the debut collection of prose and poetry by Malawian writer, Upile Chisala. This book explores the self, joy, blackness, gender, matters of the heart, the experience of Diaspora, spirituality and most of all, how we survive. ‘soft magic.’ is a shared healing journey.
• Walking through the Forest: love, loss and other tall trees by Elizabeth Ann
  love, loss, pain, healing, poetry.
  Elizabeth shares her experience with heartache and grief by embracing acceptance and self-love in a collection of poetry written with straight forward vulnerability.
  Join her walk through the forest, surrounded by love, loss, and other tall trees.
• Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook (Andrews McMeel)
  In Alicia Cook’s second poetic effort, designed in the style of an old mixtape, she sets her thoughts to a nostalgic tune. There is no Table of Contents. Instead, there is a “Track List,” making it easy to refer to them to your friends with a, “Hey did you read track seven?!” There are no chapters. Instead, the book is divided into two parts, or as one would say in the 90’s, two “sides.” Side A holds poetry that touches on all aspects of the human condition like life, death, love, moving on, evolving, growing up, hometowns, family dynamic, life after trauma, and make-ups and breakups. Side B holds the “remixes” of these poems, in the form of blackout poetry, also known as “found poetry.” Side B gives the material a fresh twist by creating new poetry out of Side A. There is also a very special surprise at the end of each track.

 

• Yellow by Alannah Radburn
  This book is a collection of poems. Yellow explores the feelings of love, happiness, heartbreak, grief, resilience and healing. It is an homage to the author’s most recent relationship. Strong feminist and LGBT+ undertones emanate from within the pages. Though it celebrates a relationship between two women, its themes and emotions are universal.
• I Am More Than A Daydream by Jennae Cecelia
  How often do you daydream? For most, it is many times a day. We stare out the window instead of the task in front of us. We fantasize about where we would much rather be, the significant other we long for, our ideal job, the body we hope to see in the mirror, a healthier mindset, pure happiness in our lives and the lives of others, peace in this chaotic world. However, how many of us daydreamers believe these pleasant thoughts will truly turn into our reality? Daydreams are more than just short bursts of happiness that only our minds can see. I know I am more than a daydream; and you are, too.
• lavender petals and a wild heart by Cheyenne Raine
  A lavender sky of words, thoughts, poetry and prose written with love and curiosity. A collection inspired by the emotions that flow from the heart due to the gentle presence of a wild and adventurous soul. This book dives into the mixture of warm and lovely feelings that blossom when adoring another’s heart.

• Table for One by Laura Ashley Laraque
  This book talks about a female who has experienced what many have, heart break. In the midst of her pain, she takes on a journey to learn to love herself. Also, expressing emotions and looking back on memories that although left scars, have led her to sit at her table alone. Finding yourself is crucial and she explains how she accomplishes this day by day.
• Bones in the Garden by McKayla Debonis
  Here lies the anatomy of the first Heartbreak.
  But,
  take my advice, you can grow, you can heal, you can learn, no matter what.
  Just pick yourself up and keep going.

---

and that is it for now! have you read any of these poetry books? let me know in the comments so we can talk ❤

---

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

We Carry The Sky Spoiler Free Book Review

Title: we carry the sky
Author: McKayla Robbin
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback (owned)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“all women carry
the sky
inside of them
didn’t your mother
ever
tell you that”

In her first collection of poetry, McKayla Robbin grows language “like wildflowers / from the wounds / that for years / would not close up.” Simultaneously vulnerable and fierce, her short-form poems engage themes of femininity, identity, violence, and healing.

---

I don’t mean to brag but like seriously, pick this up right now because this has become one of my favorite poetry books. If you love The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace or Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, then you will love this one.

There were many times that I teared up while reading this. This poetry collection features short poems about being a woman in society, finding ourselves, identity, rape culture, violence, and the healing in all of it. It’s about self love and female friendships. McKayla Robbin also mentions how it’s okay to just feel, to be still in your feelings. She even mentions in her poems racism in America.

I love how raw and genuine the voice of these poems come off as. Although these poems do not rhyme, there’s still rhythm and a story being told. And the short poems just pack a punch and leave you in awe. These poems are full of power that will uplift you and have you feeling great in the end.

Some of my favorite poems:

deep inside your belly
dwells
a powerful darkness
soft enough
to make
all life grow

– dark magic

---

my body opens
into ghost
who turn around me like the night
and come from places
i don’t like to remember the names of

---

at the ocean i shout out
your name
hoping, perhaps,
for some semblance of you
but i know
i already know
not a single sound ever
comes back
to the mouth it leaves from

---

what do you think??? if you are interested in picking this up, you can buy it here: Amazon

---

Follow me on Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Friend me on Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)