Though my history with modern poetry is rocky, I have really been enjoying the hard hitting collections this year, so I was delighted when Megan reached out to me and asked if I would review her poetry collection. She described it as a poetry collection broken up into 6 chapters ranging from themes such as depression, jealousy, grief, and strength and it was certainly that. Each chapter had a different feel and theme to it, but the transition and flow of the collection was really paced well and a natural progression.
We’re making angels out of monsters in the dark. – from “Please Don’t Sugar Coat this for Me”
Trigger warnings for this collection include what she mentioned above as well as insecurities/self esteem issues and there were some references to abuse. At some points it was like reading someone’s diaries as they were going through sometimes joyful, sometimes more traumatic events. I think the underlying theme to all of it was strength and survival through it all.
I definitely had some favorites when it came to this collection including “Lost at Sea,” “Fragile” and “To My Knees” among others. As each part progresses, you can definitely see the journey of the author. The illustrations by Kevin Furey also add a great contribution to the work, at some times very poignant.
Sand isn’t stable ground to rely on, but even concrete can crack – from “Ocean Blues and You”
This was a great exploration of poetry and there were some truly beautiful moments in her poems. Did every poem call to something in me? No, but that’s as it should be. I’ve always felt that poetry is something that can speak to the soul, but is different for every person and in saying that I think different people will definitely get different things out of this collection.
Where I Ache comes out on June 10th, be sure to check it out if it sounds like something you would enjoy. Thank you again to Megan for giving me the opportunity to read it.
Happy reading!