Anxiety: Poetry For The Anxious by M. M. Crusinberry

As someone who's struggled with anxiety from fifteen and now about to turn thirty, anything about the subject really fascinates me and I relate easily to it as well in equals parts. When silence builds walls, was a poem I really felt about how anxiety can take you over in how you feel daily and The shrinking room, of feeling closed in by anxiety and like the world is crowding in on me/us. Fading Away was a brutal look at how it can come between two people in their relationship, like an unwanted visitor you can't get rid of. The book really captures how anxiety makes you feel in an endless loop/cycle of repeated highs and lows as anxiety can take hold at any moment.

Imagined In White Poetry Of Hope by Anne Brooke

A collection of poetry through various life situations and describing the weather and the effects on life as the seasons change, the weather claims it's hold on gardens and the wildlife enjoying it. A couple of poems describing work life did make me laugh, especially Obscurity and Open Door, I guarantee we have all encountered someone we've had some similar thoughts towards cheeky and funny and very realistic.

The Lover And Her Human by Winnie Nantongo

These poems are stunningly beautiful at capturing love in all forms good and loving, but also drowning, draining, toxic and harmful. Set into four parts, Fall, Break, Heal and rise summing up stages of a relationship as it progresses. I Have Questions You Will Never Answer is such a truthful poem about laying awake unable to figure why someone left leaving you wondering unable to sleep, so relatable to many of us. It also reminded me of the Camila Cabello song, I Have Questions. Poetry Is My Escape, is a poem I really relate to, writing is a truly good way to cleanse your soul and clear your mind and poetry a great outlet to shed the feelings weighing you down as well as finding others who just get how you can find yourself feeling in any situation.

Time Is Running and Distance Is Shortening by Adriana Rocha

This poetry collection was writeen so captivatingly discussing topics of love and sex especially really making the passion developing in a relationship felt. Stand out poems of this collection to me were: I Am Art, a beautiful poem about the reality of life, living in our unique bodies each beautiful and different to each others. I Want To Be His, a simple yet beautiful poem of yearning to be with their crush admiring and adoring them from afar. So relatable! Music, as well, so relatable about in a relationship trying to find how you two work together, harmoniously, rhythmicalluy or otherwise coming together. The Last Kiss Of Goodbye too, about choisng yourself over someone afraid to commit to anything and remembering to love and put yourself first, it's their loss if they can't commit! Overall, as a young woman I found this collection as if a big sister were explaining sex and relationships and how they can play out good and bad, the passion and the chase and it was a great read.

How To Be Ok When Nothing Makes Sense by Noah Grey

Noah always has a way of writing as if his words reaching you through the book are a friend reaching out saying I see you, you'll be ok. A sort of companion book through life not to guide you but to reassure you that you're doing great whatever situation you find yourself in at that moment. A couple of great points that stood out to I have quoted below: "Even the ones who look like they’re gliding are often dragging quiet chaos behind them like a broken kite." Another quote from the book because it hits hard after losing my friend, "grief is a translation. It’s your heart trying to understand how to keep loving something that’s no longer here." Is such a sad and true Chapter 16, talks about a simple life and how it can be fulfilling to not be always in a rush in a busy world and finding your joy in living in a way which makes you happier and relaxed not worried or on edge constantly wondering how to do more, in a world that always seem to be rushing round it's a great reflection to read and sit with. A beautiful book that will make you feel seen and understood whatever you are facing just taking a few minutes to read and sit with the words and reflect on how you feel and how much you have lived through good and bad so far in life.

Glass Girl by Jessyca Thibault

This is a great poetry book for anyone who has been through a relationship that broke down especially through cheating as the author sadly was, I can also relate too unfortunately as well here. So many poems stood out to me in this collection but mostly, Super Glue and Duct Tape about making time for each other followed by, How It Goes and Why are simple in impact about relationships about how easily you seem to come together then thinking and questioning why they have or you hope they will stick around. Like a ghost too relating to crying in the car to sad songs the real emotions felt in Your Call Has Been Forwarded and Teardrops too because I have been there and felt that completely, liking a guy who went on to ignore me, made me sad then inspired my own writing, much alike the author, Jessyca here, so the joke ended up on the guy's who made us feel low and inspired us to do good from their rubbish actions!

To Whom This May Apply, A Poetry Collection by J.B Gabriel

A poetry book short and sweet with observastions of life in all aspects of it. Mother year I found relatable and so true, our mother's wrap us up tight protecting us while they can. Great little collection to read!

Collide by Lola Lawrence & Rhett Lawrence

This couple has perfectly made a poetic collection born from love seeping into each page. I especially loved the layout with backgrounds of some pages bold, bright, detailed, a riot of colour to match the passion in the writing. Sometimes black on white type when a more powerful pointed message but, still a beautiful look and insight into soulmates and love, colliding and uniting.

The Grief Of What's Gone by Sheryl Owens

I was drawn to this book after losing a loved one who would've turned thirty next year, same as me, it seems unreal we won't celebrate together. The book feels like a friend who understands, as the author does, set across different sections, The Quiet Hours the part of the book I found the most completely relatable to the times I have laid awake thinking of him, many tears, many nights writing thoughts, reading as I did this book in part in the early hours to feel a bit calmer and able to drift into sleep. Grief truly comes in random waves, I expect him to come home and be never will do again. The Firsts poem, about doing anything for the first time since they passed away is so heartbreakingly true as well, I've cried driving and had to pull over, I've cried at home and before losing him, no one in my friend group had even seen me cry, grief changes you and hits you randomly. There's a beautiful poem about carrying them with you in your mannerisms and I totally speak sometimes how he did with odd words and phrases he used I adapted to as well, in those times I feel love is reminding me he lives on in certain ways. A song for loss I found helpful is When You Lose Someone by Nina Nesbitt, I hope it helps if you listen to it to feel others get it and are here existing day to day learning how to live again after loss. A truly beautiful poetry collection.

Texts I Never Sent by Ariel Day

Heartbreakingly beautiful texts that have been typed and remain unsent to an ex. A simple yet effective way to find some closure and freedom from your thoughts and emotions for sure. I think many if us can relate to the thoughts and feelings captured in the messages and concept of the book. Beautiful and heartbreaking words.