What The Silence Gave Me by Henrietta O.

This was a poetry collection simple in title yet deep in the feelings pulled from the silence endured. Some stand out poems to me were: What I See, was a poem about seeing beauty in somebody physically but realising their attitude and treatment of others isn't emotionally and ao how you see them as a whole is actually not beautiful at all. Never More, was a poem about the way comparison seeing others happy can make you feel not good enough or simply enough for anyone to love or desire to be chosen by and feeling less and never more than enough for another. To Love, was simply the best, honest and well thought out poem written about all kinds of love that I have ever come across simply stating through life the way love exists and shapes us and how all types of love we encounter shape who we are continuously. I, The Loner, was a simple realistic poem on the way life changes and people move on and away and how you remain sitting in the corner an observer of life around you feeling stuck and again, a different type of silence to face and deal with. This was a deep collection and absolutely not quiet or silent in being outspoken and bold.

Waiting Was Never Love by Sharmell Davis

This poetry collection is a fantastic debut, relatable for anyone who's been left contemplating their worth and disappointment after a relationship not working out. A couple of stand out poems to me were: Waiting, was a poem as the title says, about being left waiting and the questioning that leaves you with. Own It, was a powerful poem on claiming being single and the power it gives you to know yourself truly and love who you are first and control the future to be what you want and know you deserve. Finishing on The Author's Signature Poem, a reclamation of self about love and choosing yourself over guessing about anyone else's intentions towards you, just self respect to make yourself responsible for your happiness first. A short, emotionally rich reflective collection.

When Words Are Enough by Sarah Colliver

This poetry collection was a beautiful accumulation of poems written through living through some tough life moment's. Some stand out poems to me were: One, was the opening poem and simply to the point of union from one to two and how it should feel seamless. My Elusive Smile, was a relatable poem about how we can hide anything behind a smile until alone we break and repeat the cycle hiding pain from the world around us. The section of poems titled Life, were beautiful on questioning the future and the seasons that as they change and bring people into our lives like tree's shed their leaves and flowers lose their petals we can lose people for better or worse ricochets in our lives as we move on.

Morning After Mourning: Poems on Healing and Hope by Adisa Noor

This poetry collection focuses on how you can bury grief behind a facade of the masked smile you wear, hiding your emotions as a coping mechanism. Sone stand out poems to me were: My Tears Spoke Before I Could, how tears are a universal language and an unstoppable force of a true rush of emotions. The Kindness Of Small Things, was a beautiful poem about the mundane kindness we can easily overlook too often rather than appreciate every time it occurs. Hope Cane Dressed As Ordinary Days, was a great poem, especially as a retail worker of how simply being part of a team in work and experiencing the camaraderie around you, sharing laughs and smiles can make you feel seen and tethered to life. I Am Not Who I Was - I Am More, was a great poem how you change and feel deeper and stronger emotions as grief affects you. We Are All Stories Of Survival, was a simple poem, yet powerful in the basic fact none of us live the same life and experience the same event's that shape us and our own stories and that sharing them is powerful, beautiful and shows the strength of each person through what they've faced throughout their lives. I also loved the wordplay of the title because even in mourning, a new morning will inevitably arrive.

The Dark Side Of Love One Year Anniversary Edition by SaDee Hodge

SaDee has come back with a special one year edition of her first poetry collection and honestly it is still a collection I can read, sit and reflect and think of how incredible the strength of a person can be every time. Some stand out poems to me of this collection were: No Contact, was a simple poem by named concept, but shows the way negative love can still haunt you, the way a simple break up would or could do. Each poem especially that follows almost reads ethereal upon reaching the point where reflection on the relationship feels haunting and leaves you in disbelief over what you actually faced and survived. Goodbye, especially, was such a finite poem seeing all the negatives and turn point on reflection too and how it can make you fear moving on to face the unknown future ahead. Warrior, was a poignant poem, to me SaDee is a warrior for facing down fear and harm and writing through the pain, owning it and writing warning others of what can happen in relationships. The title poem leaves on a haunting ending, a closure of a dark chapter indeed and just reinforces the strength of a woman to walk away and rebuild after such experiences.

Not All In by Parm K.C.

This poetry collection was so rich in the metaphors of burnt out candles and car crashes about narcissistic people you can encounter and the silent courage to fight your mind daily through anxiety and panic attacks that can seem terrifyingly deadly when they occur, a truly realistic series of descriptive poetry surrounding these topics as well as some other poetry that stood out being: The Paradox Of A Lonely Heart, was such a relatable poem between wanting to be alone and craving the right people and the juxtaposition you can save in such mixed feelings A poem about bring introverted and speaking when it matters only because that someone chooses to listen, really hit hard because it's so true people listen when they care and block when they don't truly. Holding Hands With Sadness, about how you can feel deeply destined you believe, to never truly feel happy. I Save The Best, about saving your finest clothes for the future you to enjoy when you feel worthy, was a deep and relatable poem because I used to do the same! 86,400 seconds in a day, this poem was so deeply moving about depression and anxiety and the way fears manifest and linger constantly in your mind throughout the day like you're living in a nightmare constantly with time running out, a really clever poem.

Catching: a Poetry Collection by Alyssa Gibson

This poetry collection focuses at the start on how love especially lack of from a parent growing up can feel like you were just a burden but how the right person in your life can make everything feel easy, healing and like every piece of art you adore come to life. There were lots of beautiful poems about becoming stronger from the wrong kind of relationship that can build you stronger in your sense of self and make you sure of the love for you first before loving another.

Quiet : Poetry for the Ones Who Sit with Silence by Jupiter M. Moon

This was a beautiful collection looking at everyday life moment's and the movement's and feelings they evoke. Some stand out poems to me were: One Text, about chance and the way it can be fleeting, opening or closing a chapter of life. Winter's Touch, about the way a snowflake can feel as tender as human touch. As The Petal Flies, was a whimsical poem of the beautiful fragility of an unending path where the future is invisible and unpredictable just like flowers shed petals falling into new parts of their life alike we fall and rise too. A metaphor rich collection focusing on the beauty the natural world provides and the way it mirrors the human experience too at times.

Please Look into the Mirror by Michaela Angemeer

This was a great poetry collection, especially from using the way glass and mirror's are reflective surfaces and they way we can observe ourselves through or in them and the way we can see ourselves in distorted ways through our own skewed perceptions or through the environment we grew up in and judgement we faced. I also loved the ending poem and talk about Bea, their dog and how pets can provide joy and light through the darkest of times and help you see the beauty around you and within you too, another mirror, a loving one of you.

Whispers That Stayed by T.Euke

This book was beautiful in talking about the way those that pass remain, the way thing's they said can linger in our thoughts and thing's we see happening around us can cause us to be reminded of them and believe they're signs of them still being with us in a way that they stay with us forever in small ways shaping us as we live on always remembering.