Letters I'll Never Send by Sage Bennett

Sage has perfectly captured a break up and it's effects in every day life through this collection of poetry from the little things to the big, lack of messages more bed space etc. The Poem, I Only Looked Once, about checking if they were online I really felt. When you first split up especially, you will always hope to find a message from them randomly. I Cried In The Shower Again, was such an expressive simple poem of grief using the shower as a stage for you to cleanse your mind, body and soul of the relationship and grief of it's end and loss. A great collection resulting from the relationship breakdown which Sage, if she reads this, be proud of these poems from the ashes of that relationship you've created some beautiful emotive poetry!

That Girl by Emily N Kay

The main running theme of this collection despite being about love, was also dealing with feeling inadequate and never enough when alongside other girls and cheating by their partner too. Soulmate, was a beautiful poem about wondering and worrying over if there is anyone for you out there. Drugs, about that person being the source and cause of your happiness and becoming reliant on them to feel right. Twenty Nine, was another poem I really relate to as my 29th approaches this November about how time is flying by and your friends and your life are so different in many ways, some settled down, some not or still figuring everything and feels like a limbo of sorts emotionally. The Shield and Body, two poems perfectly capturing how safety can feel in the arms of the one you love and feel seen and protected by them. The Archive, too was amazing, just basic observations about what we do or don't share what we keep private or openly talk about and how it affects how we can view each other online or offline and deal with what we see mentally. Overall a great collection capturing all the feelings we go through growing up.

The Quiet Part: A Trace of Silence That Never Left by NoteBy T

'Some feelings linger longer because they were never pursued.' I really feel that, the whole book talks about dancing around the edge of maybe, if you shared your feelings and seing where it leads with someone and hinting at a crush or limerence situation, too worried to act on feelings and living in regret of that. A Heart That Reaches Before Words, was a beautiful poem about the way love can show through body language before you speak any words to each other. The One Who Feels More Through Silence, too, beautifully discusses how you can sit in silence happily with someone else and it feel natural and happy not awkward or worrying just comforting. This collection really captured all aspects of lust, love, break ups, hope, healing, hurt, something in here everyone can relate to.

It's Okay If You Don't Love Me by Kellie Luna

A book perfectly capturing the feeling of heartbreak and when love becomes survival you have to self compromise: 'Sometimes the silence is the closure.' “I stopped texting first. And suddenly, the silence got very loud.” The silence says it all when communication breaks or lags, perfectly captured in those lines summing up effort only being one sided sadly. I also liked the illustrations of the girl, I assume the author, throughout annotating the poems at intervals to show even more cause and effect alongside the poems how she faced her feelings, brave and bold.

Love In Bloom 3 by Cheryl Bradshaw

Cheryl is easily one of my favourite poets I've discovered having reviewed her previous collections too, this third one doesn't disappoint. I Think Therefore I Am, shows the importance of being you and not changing for anyone especially a guy also a nod to Billie Eilish with the title, a great song too. Ribbon Of Time, a beautiful look at how time can show love between people, in caring or earning, directly from one to another. Wedded Bliss, a poem about an elderly couple actually reminded me of an elderly couple I see daily and to me it is such a true poem about lasting love and real life love thriving over years and decades of nurtured love and care, simply beautiful work.

The Anatomy Of Goodbye by Nyra Bloom

These poems show the passion from finding love that has grown and thrived in every moment together they share. Standout poems to me were, Soulmate and A Letter From Him, for the simplicity in their subject but the intricacy of the poems written and The Crossroads is a powerful poem about staying or leaving a relationship as well as Solitude, about finding peace and happiness alone. Each poem is emotionally charged and really relatable.

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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.