Poetry Books for the Soul
Hello everyone! Welcome back to CovertoCover! Today I wanted to talk about poetry. I have always loved poetry; I used to write poems all the time when I was younger as a way to cope with stressful things in life. I even took a poetry class in college which I loved because we learn about different types of patterns and rhyme schemes. It was a more in-depth approach to something I’ve always had a soft spot for.
Over the past two weeks, I have been reading poetry books, and I thought I would share them with you. I have been on a poetry kick lately. I love reading what other people have to say about emotions we all feel. Some people are just better at putting certain things into words. So, let’s get right in it!
1. Sincerely by F. S. Yousaf
My boyfriend gave me this book for Christmas because we had been seeing it all over TikTok. This book has poems about love and relationships. This easily is one of favorite poetry books because I related to many of the poems. As I was reading, I would highlight lines I loved or spoke to me, I would underline with a pen as well, and then tab the pages of the poems that I really liked. It was so hard not to tab every page. It’s about love, pure love, young love, puppy love, serious love, true love, etc. I think every couple should pick up a poetry book and highlight their favorite parts of it. You will feel so much closer to them. It will bring out the love and affection in the relationship. Here is one of my favorite poems from the book:
“I have jumped from house to house
My whole life.
Stability, for me, has been nearly nonexistent,
But I have hope
That you could be my home
For as long as I live (14).”
2. Her Favorite Color was Yellow by Edgar Holmes
This is a poetry I just got for my birthday. I always see it on Amazon. I tried looking for it at the bookstore, but it must be an Amazon exclusive or published through them because it wasn’t at Barnes and Noble. This is a really small poetry book, I read it in one sitting, in less than an hour. I like this book because the poems were so wholesome. The poems were short but impactful. The author wrote this for his wife and you can tell just how much he loves her. While there have been struggles just like every relationships, its about working through those struggles together; and I think Holmes’ book really captures overcoming the struggle because there is something great waiting on the other side. This is a book about a relationship and all the ups and downs that come with wanting to be with someone and falling in love. One of my favorite poems from the book is:
“Do you feel that?
The crackling energy
In the space
Between our fingertips
As if the universe
Is begging
For us to touch (17).”
3. Swimming Lessons by Lili Reinhart
You may recognize the name of this author and that is because she is the actress who plays Betty Cooper from Riverdale. She released this book a while ago, but I just now decided to pick it up. I knew I wanted to read it at some point, and it was on sale at the bookstore so I thought why not get it now? I was really touched by her writing. You can sense the pain and growth in her poems and throughout the book. She talks about everything from young love to anxiety and depression to heartbreak. All her words are very moving and I loved reading her work. I feel like I know her so much more after reading her poems. Poetry is a very intimate form of writing, and you can learn a lot about a person from reading theirs. I hope she releases more. One of my favorites from this book is:
“I want to frame that
Picture of us,
The one with your hands
Wrapped around my waist,
As if we’re two dancing
Figurines
Sculpted into one (173).”
4. The Chaos of Longing by K.Y. Robinson
The last poetry book I have for you is more of a darker one. This book isn’t about the great parts of being in love. It’s about abuse, mental health, struggling, isolation/loneliness, but most prominently the abuse the author has suffered. It is a really sad yet touching book. Again, with poetry you can really feel the emotions the author is trying to convey. I tabbed this book as well, but this book out of all the ones I have listed is the one with the least number of tabs. The author’s writing is beautiful, don’t get me wrong. Personally, I’m at a stage in my life where this isn’t something I can relate to at the moment. When I first started writing my own poetry it was to let go of emotions such as anger, grief, loneliness, etc. So, when another author does the same, I appreciate their courage to write those words. But now I write poetry about love and growth, so I relate more to those poems. If those emotions are something that is prevalent in your life right now, I suggest taking a look at this book. One of my favorite poems is:
“there’s a universe
Swirling inside of you.
You have to learn to be
Your own earth,
Wind, fire,
And water.
You are a natural
Phenomenon—
Not a natural disaster (142).”
I hope you enjoyed these suggestions. I highly suggest checking all of them out!