Hey, what’s up? I recently bought a poetry book! This is my first time reading poems willingly. The last time I read a poem was in high school, where I was forced to memorize it and interpret every line to pass my English exam.

What made me want to buy the book in the first place? It started with me following a few poets’ accounts on Instagram, and listening to them read their poems every day made me want to try reading their books! However, none of their books were available at the nearest Waterstones. So, I just picked a random poetry book that features poems from different poets—it’s a collection. To be honest, the book’s title influenced me the most in deciding to buy it.

This is how the book looks. Whenever I buy a new book, I always buy a new bookmark as well! Collecting bookmarks is a new hobby of mine.

The book has five chapters, titled:

1. What the f**k?
2. Get me the f**k out of here . . .
3. Keep your sh*t together
4. Let’s do something about this sh*t
5. Life is still f**king beautiful

On the back cover, it says: “Discover the amazing power of poetry to make even the most f**ked-up times feel better.”

Since it’s my first poetry book, I don’t think I can rate it yet, as I don’t have enough experience with poetry books. However, I can say it was a good read—I really enjoyed most of the poems! Some were funny, a few were sad, and many were deeply emotional! I would definitely recommend you give this book a try.

As usual, my half-hearted book review wouldn’t be complete without sharing some quotes I loved. I hope you enjoy them!

What trifling coil do we poor mortals keep;
Wake, eat, and drink, evacuate, and sleep.

Human life by Matthew Prior

…because I always feel like running.
not away,
…because there’s no such place.
…because if there was
I would have found it by now
…because it’s easier to run; easier than staying
and finding out you’re the only one who didn’t run
…because running will be the way your life and mine will be described:
as in the long run or
as in having given someone a run for his money or
as in running out of time
…because running makes me look like everyone else
though I hope there will never
be cause for that
…because I will be running in other direction:
not running for cover;
…because if I knew where cover was
I would stay there and never have to run for it.
not running for my life
…because I have to be running
for someone of more value to be running
and not in fear;
…because the thing I fear cannot be
escaped, eluded, avoided,
hidden from, protected from, gotten away from,
not without showing the fear
as I see it now
…because closer, clearer/no sir nearer
…because of you, and
…because of the nice that you
quietly, quickly, be causing and
…because you’re going to seem run soon, and
…because you’re going to know why I’m running.
then,
you’ll know then
…because I’m not going to tell you now.

the oldest reason in the world by Gil Scott-heron

Do you know what those three dots ‘…’ mean? I googled it because I hadn’t given it much thought before. In poetry, the three dots are called an ellipsis. They can either indicate that words have been removed from a quoted passage, or they can be used to suggest an incomplete thought. By incomplete thought, I mean a pause or trailing off in speech or thought, symbolizing silence in text. I hope you learn something new when reading this blog!

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
But seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
As living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
And He bend you with His Might
That His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
So He loves also the bow that is stable

on children by Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer and artist best known for The Prophet, a collection of poetic essays. I thought he was a muslim but he was raised in a Maronite Christian family. His poet revolves on themes like love, life, and spirituality. I might buy his book nexts if I can find one! Alright then, bye!