What is your opinion?
Soulful and honest
"We've all known grief and loss of one form or another. The way that this author chose to express this through poetry is open, raw, honest. There is no outward or intentional "showiness" or purple prose to make their poems sound more interesting, which they already are, and therefore have no need for. This is greatly appreciated, because the poems are strong and have an emotional impact on their own by virtue of the author's skill. The writing style is unique, and the word choice employed throughout is thought-provoking. One example that resonated with me was in "It Still Hurts," where they mentioned "Some say, 'We'll see you on the Other Side,' hoping to soften the wield of the Reaper's scythe." It is true that death will come to us all, but as for the sentiment of seeing someone again as a means of alleviating the pain that person's death causes and then expressing this by referring to the "Reaper's scythe"? Now that really gets the brain cells going. There is a certain amount of courage involved with laying one's innermost feelings out like this for public scrutiny, and the author should be applauded and celebrated for this. There is no denying the cathartic benefit of doing this, but reading these poems makes one reflect on all that they have and will one day lose, not in a depressing way, but with a sense of gratitude that they have or had people in their lives that they loved and who loved them."
A Touching Expression of Love and Loss
"Annie brings a beautiful and touching expression of her love and loss through this lovely poetry collection! While there’s a lot of poetry about death out there, her perspective and undercurrent theme of love in regards to death, grief, and loss is refreshing. I truly felt the depth of emotion written into each poem, even tearing up myself once or twice. While everyone’s grief is as different as individuals are, there’s still something about losing a loved one that touches the heartstrings of those who’ve experienced it as well. What I absolutely loved/felt the most, and the message that I received the strongest, is that love not only makes the pain of losing someone harder, but it’s also amplified through their loss. Annie expresses that our grief is reflective of the love shared, and from that, love lives on. Each of the first 5 poems I read were expertly written with minimal, to no technical errors found. Rhythm and tone were consistent and when applicable, so was rhyming. The impact of each was not only felt, but heartfelt. I personally haven’t read a lot of poetry about death or loss, as what I’ve usually seen can be depressing. I enjoyed the undertone of love and positivity found in each. I felt this lent to the originality of each poem. I highly recommend this read!"
