The Evolution of A Girl will have you bent, broken, rooting for the flower in all of us to water one another and rise above toxic masculinity, sexual assault, and the difference between love and lust.
These poems empower you and help you see that being born a girl in a man’s world isn’t heartbreaking but a chance for you to grow, heal, and thrive.
Enjoyed this review? Book one for your own book for only $40.
We love, we lose, but does what we love ever let us go?
This is the beckoning question that readers must ask themselves as they experience the chapbook “The Haunting.”
Combs writes of a dead lover who’s ghost-like presence reminds you that love is force far beyond death and the grave.
Heartbreak comes in phases: it hurts, it heals, and it haunts.
The Haunting by Melissa M. Combs seeks to spook the loss of love right out of you and remind you that first comes the unfinished business of heartbreak and then comes the healing. This chapbook will quite literally eat you alive and help you survive the pain, the sting, the lost feeling of being left for dead by an ex-lover. Combs’s words will leave you in chills and help you heal.
Her full length poetry collection is due out November 17. You can check out a sneak peek of Love in Other Realms on her Instagram and buy poetry based merch inspired by the poetry featured in her collection at her website.
I look forward to being haunted by the words of this poet long after I finish reading any of her books.
As most of you know, my favorite month of the year is National Poetry month. I celebrate it every year both here and on my personal social media pages. Why? Well, poets are just underrated but they say things we wish more people would just come out with. I love how immediate and succint writing poetry feels and when someone reads it if they feel the power in your words, the entire poem speaks volumes and all the feelings come full circle. So powerful and as with all writing both brave and vulnerable as well.
The thing I love about writing poetry is that there are less rules. You can format it however you want, and even make grammatical errors part of the poem as well.
When reading poetry, I find solace in the short but staggered rhythm of lyrics and words that leave me feeling lifted, understood, and less alone.
I found Stefanie Briar’s work during one of my curiousity sprees (when I am venturing down the many rabbit holes of Instagram) where I search online for salve for the wounds of my human frailty.
Cosmosis uses the metaphor that our universe grows and expands with each act of love even if lost or toxic.
It is brilliantly organized in four sections:
The poetry in each centers from the gravitational pull of its theme my two favorites were Solar Flare and Black Hole because like this poet, I have loved, and I have felt the blackest hole of love lost.
This one is probably my favorite if I had to pick one…although every poem here is so powerfully poignant and original.
You can join the conversation and find new poetry shared often via her Instagram pagewhich impressively has over 20,000 followers in the six months since she joined the platform (Stefanie, please sprinkle some of your magic voodoo dust on my Instagram, please).
And it’s easy to see why she has so many fans. Her words are sharp and spoil-proof. Yet, if you message her, she will message you back within hours. She’s genuinely super supportive of other poets and writers, and she’s also got amazing taste in music.
According to her author bio on the back of her debut poetry book, she lives in New Jersey with her husband, young daughter, python, and cat-sized rabbit. She teaches 10th grade English and coaches cheerleading.
You can purchase a copy of the Barnes & Noble Press poetry bestseller Cosmosis here.
Her second book of poetry is due out on New Year’s Day 2021. 2021 is already looking promising if you ask me.
The Smart Cookie Philes 