Actual rating: 3.5 Stars

This was my third poetry book that I read this year after [b:Milk and Honey|23513349|Milk and Honey|Rupi Kaur|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491595510l/23513349._SY75_.jpg|43116473] and [b:Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|29059581|Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|Alicia Cook|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455132988l/29059581._SY75_.jpg|49289043]. I loved both those poetries and expected same from it, as the title seemed entruiging. I came to know about this title through poetry recommendations on NetGalley. However, it was way too different than the formers.


Theme and Writing
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The theme of this poetry was eroticism which makes it sensual in a way. But it was a little difficult for me to gasp sexuality in this genre and I was feeling uncomfortable in lot of poems (though I like Eroticas, it din’t worked in poetry for me).

This poetry collection is divided into four parts: Inception, Longing, Chaos and Epiphany. The good thing about this poetry was that the author is speaking about herself in most of the parts. She is a woman of color (WoC) and we can imagine to some point that what she might have been gone through in her childhood. A few poems shows her roots and felt like raw thoughts.

This collection is like a story where the author is speaking about her growing experience (moreover how it affected her) like lust, heartbreak, healing and self love. I really liked that how she started the book with a “trigger warning” showing that she cares about the mental health of her readers. This was really a thing to appreciate. In today’s world, where everyone is going through too much stress because of their professional or personal lives, mental health is something which is being compromised the most and often goes unattended.

It highlights another good point – effects of longing. Sometimes, we are so engrossed in something that we can’t think properly and take better decisions, like loving someone so blindly that that person often neglects the bad effect that it is having on them and thus makes them indecisive. They just become desperate.

However, writing was beautiful and felt true. I enjoyed the overall emotional journey of the author. Some of the poems were sad but in the end, it gives the perfect and hopeful message. My favourite part was definitively Epiphany. There were some poems which I liked while I couldn’t make any connections to others. Two of my favourites are below:

"elements ii

there’s a universe
swirling inside you.

you have to learn to be
your own earth,
wind, fire
and water.

you are a natural
phenomenon—
not a natural disaster."

"the galaxy is yours

star your own sky.
drink the shooting stars.
lasso the moon.
take a bite.
feel the juice
of self-love
running
down your chin
and laugh madly.

you’re still alive.
you’re still alive.
you’re still alive."


Final Thoughts
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I like this collection, not whole but definitely a few poems were good. I liked the writing style of the author and I am definitely waiting to read some more from her. If you are into poetry and like this kind of theme, then you should definitely read it.

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