This week I am very pleased to be reviewing a collection of poems that I was deeply touched by. Many of you will know of Michelle, a blogger with a beautiful heart, the creator of Mws R Writings. The first poetry book I bought from Michelle’s collection (I believe she has published four poetry books so far) was “Heart Songs“.
I think Michelle is on exactly the right track with the titles of her poetry books. “Heart Songs“, like her other poetry is totally heartfelt from start to finish. If you already follow Michelle as a blogger, you probably will be to an advantage in reading her poetry. She has shared her heart on her WordPress blog, but does so even more poignantly in her poetry.
Her poetry book made me feel so much affection for her. On a personal note, I love that she employs so much rhyme. I am very partial to songlike poems with rhyming verses. I enjoyed Michelle’s style of poetry so much that I read her book from cover to cover, before I went right back to the beginning and read each poem more slowly.
I know from her WordPress blog that Michelle has reasons to have sadness in her heart. Sadness is one of the strands of”Heart Songs“, but throughout her collection, her poems reveal her efforts to rise above sadness and to focus on healing, finding joy, loving, living. There is a line from the very first poem in this collection that I hope Michelle is happy for me to share with you:
"....I am just a poet with a heart full of either hurt or joy..."
Hurt and sadness…joy and strength…but above all a desire to love. There are times when you can sense that it is taking a lot of effort to not let sadness rule the heart of the poet. But this heart is victorious. She sings!
What resonated with me is that effort to not to be swallowed up by sadness. Some of Michelle’s poems contain reasoning, as if she is persuading her own heart. Sometimes we have to do that. Sometimes we have to battle with our own hearts, our own negative feelings, gently steering them in a more positive, helpful, nourishing direction. I appreciate that some of Michelle’s poems are almost like therapy, a mini-counselling session, but penned in a song-like poetry that will help you to remember the lesson learnt.
I really did love Michelle’s heartfelt poetry, particularly because it showed in a beautiful way that even when you have genuine causes for sorrow, sadness does not need to control you or define who you are. Hope, joy, and love are still within reach.
After a beautiful, heartwarming, inspiring of song-like poems is the last page: Michelle’s Biography! What a beautiful heart she has! A heart that tasted deep sadness but can sing, she can sing songs of love and joy!
Thank you Michelle – for sharing so much of your beautiful heart with us through your gorgeous poems.
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You can find out what Caramel has been reading in her very own little reading corner, as she published book reviews of books written by WordPress bloggers each Saturday.
If you have any recommendations, please leave a message in the comments below.
CARAMEL’S CORNER
Caramel 