Tag: poetry

Book Review: The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur

10 Comments

35606560

‘never feel guilty for starting again’

In an incredible second collection, Rupi Kaur releases the raw emotion of a modern young woman. From the break down of a relationship to the relationship she shares with her mother, to finding love again when she wasn’t looking for it. Once again, my heart was flung into my mouth reading this and with good reason.

Sometimes a book falls into your hands when you’re in desparate need of it, for me, this was The Sun and Her Flowers. I’ve been a Rupi Kaur fan since reading her first collection Milk and Honey, which spoke to me as a young woman. So, of course I picked up her second collection and devoured it in 24 hours.

When reading Kaur you need to know she is brutally honest. She’s honest about her body, her mind, her sense of self and being a woman. She reflects on the good and bad around her without holding back, because you know that she has held back for so long. There is anger, there is pain and reflection on suffering that has been endured but the poems that describe them are crafted so beautifully that you feel every emotion without sinking into darkenss yourself.

While I’ve already touched upon it the most magnificent part, for me, was the poems Kaur wrote about her mother. She talks about the sacrifices and struggles her mother had to overcome so that Kaur and her siblings could achieve. She wonders what her mothers life would have been like should she have been free to make her descisions. It’s a wonderful insight into the relationship she shares with her mother.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Kaur collection without the accompanying illustrations. There isn’t a fear of showing womens bodies as they are in captivating illustrations. These seem to bring the poems to life at certain points and allow you to visualise the poems themselves.

I gave this collection five stars. This is an absolutely breathtaking collection and something I’m sure I’m going to read again and again. I, personally, found it to be an incredibly empowering collection. I’m sure that Kaur will go far, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

 

Payday Haul! 

1 Comment

Hello, hello, hello lovely readers!

The end of our last Bank Holiday Weekend of the year is here! That might get you down but just think, the next Bank Holiday is *Boxing Day*, which means Christmas fun! Anyway, back to the matter at hand. This month marked the first month I got my ‘normal’ paycheck since I lost my job back in April. Since then I was temping and then started my new job in the middle of the month. So this payday I was able to treat myself a little bit while also paying the bills.

So, let’s crack on with this haul.

img_5817

First off, some beauty. I waxed my best friends eyebrows last week and told her she needed to get some good tweezers for strays. While we were shopping we found these cute ones for £2.00 from TK Maxx!! I’ve also finally run out of blusher so picked this up from Superdrug for £2.50 and got myself some wax strips for £6.95. I still have eyebrows so I’ll call that a win.

img_5818

I also managed to pick up the most 90s kid pyjamas in Primark. I used to watch all of these shows growing up. I constantly watched Nickelodeon and Boomerang as a kid and Rugrats was my favourite! They were £10 for the set, not bad.

img_5819

Harry Potter 9 3/4 PJs. I really controlled myself with the new Harry Potter range. These are a nice mix for Autumn while there are trousers they’re still quite lightweight. Also, look at all the amazing little illustrations on it too. Beyond cute. BEYOND CUTE. Also, £10 for the set.

img_5821

Ok, the last pair of Pyjamas I promise! I’ve been eyeing these for about 2 weeks, need to rep my house colours! Go, Go, Gryffindor! The best part is that these were only £6. £6!!!

img_5823

Finally moving away from PJs and on to stationary! Now, I don’t do a bit back to school/uni shop anymore I don’t buy that much stationary, that was until I found Typo. All three of these notebooks were on an offer which meant 3 for £6. I’ve also got more bits coming this week so I’ll do a Typo haul for that! These are so cool and I’m a total sucker for anything motivational!

img_5822

A band I absolutely love, PVRIS, were playing Reading and Leeds this weekend, on Friday Ali and I got to see a small acoustic set of theirs live and pick up their new album All We Know of Heaven, All We Need is Hell. It was so good and made me fall a little but more in love with Lynne.

img_5826

Book time! Of course, I was going to buy books. For some reason, I ordered an edition on Amazon that said this wasn’t out for another year?! That was until Abbie told me it was out as Melanie was on book tour! I’m so excited to read a book by one of my favourite people to watch. Catch Melanie’s channel here.

img_5827

And last but not least, I really want to increase the amount of poetry I have and read. I completely understand the classics are classics for a reason but I want to read poetry I can relate to! So I chose Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook.

 Now I have the rest of the month and I’m trying not to spend unnecessary money! I’m making healthier lunches for me to take to work, trying to cook more from scratch as well as taking cash out and using that when possible. I’ll let you know how I get on!

 

Book Review: The Princess saves herself in this one – Amanda Lovelace

2 Comments

30075802

‘warning I: 

this is not a 

fairy tale.’

I had heard so much about Amanda Lovelace’s collection of poetry. It was hailed a feminist book young women had to read, that spoke the truth and recreated poetry for our generation. I completely agree with this statement. It took me a little while to get my hands on it but I haven’t regretted it.

I wouldn’t call this a happy read as such, but it is one of struggle and perseverance. It is one of not being saved but saving yourself. It chronicles an important stage in a woman’s life, one that I’m personally going through still, where you try and work out who you are and let go of certain people.

This chronicles Lovelace’s life and is split into four parts; The Princess, The Damsel, The Queen and You. Each part looks at a different aspect of Lovelace growing up, how she felt at the time, whilst at the same time keeping the fairytale theme.  I thoroughly enjoyed the transitions into each because it didn’t feel fractured or like it ‘had to fit’.

I hope this is a new beginning in poetry made for and by young people to enjoy. Whilst I can appreciate some of the classics, after all my favourite poet is Sylvia Plath, we need new and exciting poets such as Lovelace to introduce more young people to a new form of poetry.

I gave this a 5 star review. This was a breath of fresh air in poetry and incredibly well written. I look forward to reading more of Lovelace’s work and to see what she does next.

Book Review: One – Sarah Crossan

Leave a comment

25366338

This is my story.

It is a single story,
not two tales tangled up in each other
like lover’s limbs,
as you might expect.

Grace and Tippi are conjoined twins sharing every single experience with one another. While they may not be ‘normal’ teenage girls that doesn’t stop them wanting to have the same experiences as everyone else. Written through the eyes of  Grace, Crossan presents the story of two heads, two hearts, two souls, one body.

I was intrigued by the idea of this novel, I’ve never read about conjoined twins before in a fictional setting before, must less from the perspective of one of the sisters. That said, this novel is about both Grace and Tippi and who they are as individuals, as more than just ‘the twins’.  The novel considers their family life, job loss and what it means to be a ‘normal’ teenager when you are the subjects of stares and whispers of all around you.

This novel was endearing and quite clever, what I didn’t know upon buying it is that the novel is written in verse. While this is different and shows that Crossan is incredibly talented, I found it incredibly difficult to read in this format and while I was trying to work it out it took away from the story for me. I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I think I would have should it have been prose.

I did enjoy, however, that Crossen didn’t show the girls as a freak show or as one person. Both Grace and Tippy have their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes. While some would see Graces ‘bucket list’ as depressing, in fact it makes the book more realistic. There is a chance that these girls will die as their bodies try to cope with being conjoined.

Crossan isn’t afraid of realism within the novel. The focus on the feelings of exclusion they feel and judgement are not shied away from. Nor are the financial problems that Grace and Tippi’s family face from their condition. The struggle and worry of being able to afford treatment that keeps them both alive highlights the unfairness and strain on a family for something they simply can’t help.

Overall, I gave the novel 3 stars. While it did enjoy it and thought it was an interesting story I felt that while the prose was a brave choice, it wasn’t for me. Trying to work my way through the prose as well as following the story, I found myself constantly distracted. I would recommend this novel if you want something a little different and want to expand your reading experience.

I Am A Woman – International Women’s Day Poem 2017

Leave a comment

I am a Woman,

It’s something I’ve grown into, although I didn’t have a choice.

although I didn’t have a choice.

Sometimes I look at the world, through youthful eyes

and they burn in anger.

I look at my sisters around the world and they suffer,

damn it they suffer, for the simplest things.

And all because they have a vagina.

Yes I said the word! The one that makes some flinch

VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA!

A part of the body that equals discrimination and a lack of equality.

There’s pressure all around,

to look a certain way.

Although that’s not entirely on the men, we have a part to play.

Why waste our time with waistlines and cellulite,

when our sisters can’t even go to school?

But that won’t get printed in a glossy, on reality TV.

Hell, we rarely talk about inequality!

About mother’s rights and the pay gap.

About sexism all around us, violence and threats.

We can’t rely on leaders, have you seen who’s been voted in?

And so we’ll march, for those who can’t, for ourselves.

We’ll be told to ‘calm down’, that we’re winning the game

but while you control our bodies I don’t think that’s the same.

Say what you want, about my voice so loud.

You cannot keep us quiet, lock us all up.

We’ll carry on resisting, just you wait and see.

We don’t want to control you, just equality.

I am a woman, and I will fight.

I am a woman, and I am strong.

I am a woman, hear me and my sisters roar.

My Best Friend

Leave a comment

IMG_8422

I met you in a music room.

I kissed you under a tree.

You went red.

You waited for me.

We made music, that the world should have heard.

We grew together to be what we wanted to be.

Now it’s been 8 years and I couldn’t wish for more,

Than my best friend at my side, forever half of a ‘we’.

 

Crack – a poem

Leave a comment

7b5df777247a4eac85625b7abcc281f0

Sometimes I write poetry, this image really made me think about the past year and where I’m at now. I started writing this after a really tough gym session,where I just felt my body let me down. Anyway, this is one of my few poems, enjoy.

One second was all it took,

Flying then falling

My lungs gasping for air

You cracked and you crumbled,

making me not as high.

Once I’d dreamed of growing taller, now I’d take it with no complaints.

You made my legs useless,

my summer a sleepy haze.

A city that should have been my playground,

turned into white walls and levels of pain.

Even now as I start to reclaim,

some of those things you took.

You can still floor me with a no notice

reaching out for boxes, the only hope I have of taking away my pain.

No doubt you’ve changed my life,

for the good as well as the bad.

In ways I couldn’t have dreamt of,

before their letter came.

I don’t want to fight against you,

spend my days angry and depressed.

But some days I can’t forgive a body that fights against me.

When I’m trying every day.

But I suppose time will tell,

and all I can do is carry on.

Slowly and pick myself up from the fall.

Something a little different – sharing some poetry

Leave a comment

88b9e03352a4d306dcac2257b9306ade

I wanted to share something a little different with you all today. I’ve been thinking of ways to make the blog a little more interesting and I have a lot of blogs planned out for you all! For today I’d like to share one of my poems I wrote a few years ago!

Heartbreak

I am falling apart

Pieces and pieces of this tough old heart

I know again that it will start

I will move on but for now I need to mend a broken, broken heart.

As always let me know what you think 🙂

Finding new loves

Leave a comment

IMG_0674

It’s exciting when you find a new love on your degree. I’ve avoided Victorian Literature for a long time because of the way it had been taught to me, now I’m in university and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with Victorian poetry, only a few pieces but still. This is one of the greatest things about studying for a degree, I’m going down all these different paths and right now for academics I’m looking at prostitution in one module and Young Adult literature in another while on the side I’m looking at mental health in literature. I’m full of passion and excitement, which to me is what university is about.

I haven’t spoken about wanting to do an MA much on this blog but every day I get more of this overwhelming feeling that it’s not something I just want to do it’s something that I need to do, maybe I wont progress on to PhD (that bit depends on funding) but need to take that next step. There’s something about research that lets me just immurse myself in it, the only other thing I’ve felt like that about is music, the first love I ever had.

This might seem a bit sappy but today just put it into focus for me, every one of my lectures keeps telling me to be more confident, I know how to do this and I’m good at it and believe it or not I’m starting to listen. I submitted some pieces for first checks today and I’m not panicking for once, I know that they are good enough right now and I can build through the year.

Loving my degree, loving life!