Hey all!!! I am still trying to get into the swing of things with coming back to blogging. Life’s been a little hard and just out of the loop. Having family here from PR amongst other personal things, I feel like stability isn’t quite by my side. Anyways! I’ve read poetry in October and I don’t really have much to say but READ IT lol. All of these are 5 star reviews! So without further ado, let’s get started!
Title: soft in the middle
Author: Shelby Lafreniere
synopsis: Warning: these poems contain soft subject matter. About love, heartbreak, body image, how absolutely breathtaking girls are, flower blooms and starlight.
This is a small sampling of poems from my larger collection called ‘soft in the middle’, available for free download here.
Review:
Currently, soft in the middle is a small sampling of poems from shelby’s larger collection that is to come. This sample previews 25 poems filled with self-reflection, heartbreak, family, darkness, stardust, and other topics. I cannot wait for the full collection because this sampler was amazing. I felt like Shelby really put her feelings and emotions all on paper. Her poetry reflects different parts of her and I can’t imagine what else she has in store with the full collection. here’s one of the poems (format changed a little because of the blog):
THE LANGUAGE OF STARS
she looks up at the night sky
and often finds that what she sees
is what she feels inside
when the stars float brightly
she thinks
breathing is like swimming
the water holds me so gently
the weight of everything
is easy to hold
when the clouds cloak the world in darkness
she thinks
it’s getting harder
to dream
of possibility
Title: the sun and her flowers
Author: Rupi Kaur
synopsis: Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.
this is the recipe of life
said my mother
as she held me in her arms as i wept
think of those flowers you plant
in the garden each year
they will teach you
that people too
must wilt
fall
root
rise
in order to bloom
Review:
Trigger Warnings: Rape, Harm
OMG THIS COLLECTION HAD ME A BALL OF TEARS!!!! I loved this one more than Milk and Honey to be completely honest. the sun and her flowers is a poetry collection divided into 5 different sections and each section is dedicated to a certain theme. This book has poems filled with heartbreak, self-love, immigration, family, culture, friendships, growing, learning, and on and on and on. This collection is raw and simple. Her poems go straight to the point. I connected so much to the heartbreak poems, immigration poems, and family poems. As a woman of color myself, the poems where Rupi talks about her family coming here from another country really hit home for me. It made me cry but smile at the same time because to see that a woman of color is talking about these things, our struggles here on a land that doesn’t really want us made me feel like “wow someone other than me gets it”. here’s a poem:
they have no idea what it is like
to lose home at the risk of
never finding home again
to have your entire life
split between two lands and
become the bridge between two countries
– immigrant
Title: Pillow Thoughts
Author: Courtney Peppernell
synopsis: Make a cup of tea and let yourself feel.
Pillow Thoughts is a collection of poetry and prose about heartbreak, love, and raw emotions. It is divided into sections to read when you feel you need them most.
Review:
Trigger Warnings: Self-Harm, Suicide Ideation
Another favorite poetry collection added to the list of favorites that keeps piling up. This collection is divided into 10 different sections: if you are dreaming of someone, if you are in love, if you are heartbroken, if you are lonely, if you are sad, if you are missing someone, if you need encouragement, if you are soul-searching, if you need a reason to stay, these are for you. I was moved by so many of these poems, I felt Courtney’s emotions through each section which all flowed beautifully. Her poetry is filled with love, sadness, despair, loneliness, and positivity. To me, her words were simply pure. I cannot wait to read more by this author! here’s a poem:
Of all the important things you must do today, there is none
greater than showing kindness to your heart. For even the
brightest make mistakes and the wisest do not have a thing
to say. Be gentle with yourself, forgive yourself, even on your
darkest day.
and that is all for the mini poetry reviews! have you read any of these or plan to? i would love to chat in the comments about poetry!!!
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Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav
the boys i’ve loved & the end of the world by catarine hancock
from scars to beauty by nicki naomi
soft in the middle by shelby eileen
Lovely Seeds by R.H. Swaney
chicnerdreads 