#BookishMuses: Bluett’s Bright Yellow Sunshine is a ‘notes to self’ for the modern age

I see you right now.
Yes, you reading this.

Rain clouds dark and ominous reign your outlook and have fogged up your life.

Yet, if you need a lift, some water for your dry and desolate human soul, read Bright Yellow Sunshine by Cheyenne Bluett.

It is a beautiful collection of poetry written like notes to self and it has shaken me to my core.

There are poems throughout this collection that will light up your darkness, lift your chin, cause you to smile, or maybe even tear up like me.

This is Bluett’s second collection and it is everything you could ever need to read, and that much more.

Like this review? Consider supporting the work of the Smart Cookie Philes with a cup of strong espresso.

#PoeticMuses: Under The Shade of the Banyan Tree by Simi K. Rao

I was asked to read this book of poetry and some prose for an honest review. Once received, I was unsure of what I would find under this tree of metaphorical significance but I am happy to share not only did I find myself lost in the midst of some of these poems…that share bits of truth about self-confidence, sefl-esteem, and one that cleverly tells the story of a seed of doubt.

My favorite of all Rao’s words shared within the pages of this collection is called Love is.

I also enjoyed the excerpt from Inconvenient Relations, Rao’s novel.

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Enter Giveaway Here. Ends May 10, 2020

Read some of my favorites below.

i purge my mind with music I rejoice in the space until the creatures cruise back in on roller skates

I am Abnormal Unconventional Abominable Unafraid Aberrant Unapologetic

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Words are bland unless spiced with emotion Prayer means less unless said with devotion Love is an empty pot unless filled with trust

Spontaneous Instantaneous No instruction required When it reaches the eyes, it spreads like the flu Contagious Infectious The universal language of a smile.

#PoeticMuses: Beyond Worthy by Jacqueline Whitney

Coming out of the other side of trauma is the part people notice. They didn’t notice you within the trauma feeling stuck, losing the fuel to your fire, losing the best parts of you to appease those people who were absolutely blind to your worth.

They didn’t notice when you were broken and reaching out to everyone and everything to help you understand the pain that had doubled you over. That made you think that this was it. The story was over, and no one checked in or showed up for you like you did for them, you turned to a higher power and internal healing, and to be free of the pain you had to let go of what or who was holding you back.

Then, dead on arrival, the truth, the clarity washes over you and you come out strong. Like a phoenix you rise and begin to fly.

And when you rise, you help others like you heal.

For me, that is the poetry of Jacqueline Whitney. It is written from a place of severe trauma, from a place where people say something is wrong with you because you are depressed  and only see darkness, and from a place where light washes over you in streams and waves until the darkness flees from you, and the place you are stuck in, becomes the place where you danced right out of the flames.

It was everything I didn’t know I needed post-trauma. And I thank her for putting her words, her heart, her story out into the world because they helped me heal even more.

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You can connect with Jacqueline via Instagram and even find a link to purchase her very vital book of poetry.

Below are some of my favorites of hers.

The more we try to make sense of the memories or the current moment that doesn't make sense, the more we lose ourselves and our healing. There are some experiences that just aren't ever going to make sense, and ma

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You only live once.

You were created for nothing mediocre. You are meant to tear down walls with your heart, push through oceans with your voice, and love all souls with all of your soul. You were made to love. You were made to stand

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with you

Progress can be measured in breaths. You are still breathing, therefore, you are making progress. -Beyond Worthy by Jacqueline Whitney

Being you is enough. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. You don't have to defend where you are. You are where you are, and that is where you need to be right now. -Beyond Worthy by Jacqueline Whitney

 

#BookReview: Living Lightly is a timely read in a heavy world

Life is far from easy. Most of the time in life, we come to hurdles along our path that teach us something about ourselves or a higher truth about life. What exactly does it mean to “live lightly?”

Lightly quote

When I was asked to read Living Lightly for an honest review, I was transitioning from a heavy period of my life: yet another hurdle I could either get stuck behind out of fear, shame, and regret or one I could let open my eyes to a truth regarding learning to love myself and  part of that process involved coming to the realization that in the process of letting what happened in the past go, I must forgive myself.

The first day I sat down to read Living Lightly I read the entry for that date and it was surprisingly exactly what I needed to read regarding my situation:

LivingLightly Quote

Living Lightly is the perfect read for five to ten minutes a day. Each entry contains an anecdote with a reflective or emotive question or a poem.

If you’ve been down, torn up, heavy-laden, Living Lightly will provide an escape and a bigger picture truth to remind us that life isn’t meant to be carried, like baggage on our shoulders but meant to be enjoyed and even more so, meant to be lived fully and completely.

Coming soon: An interview with the authors Dale Curd and Kimberly Alexander

#NationalPoetryMonth I Love My Love by Reyna “Biddy” Mays

I started this book because it was a book of poetry but then the poetry became me. My life flashed before my eyes with each poem and I was enthralled, entranced, yet enlightened with the work of this young poet.

Discussing themes of self-image, society’s ideas of beauty, love, ideas of love, learning to love oneself, spiritual maturity. All in all, this poetry book made me realize that I DO in fact love my love and will wait as long as it takes to love someone worthy of that love again.

Below is my favorite poem in the book entitled Ex Lover. Sorry it got a little cut off when I scanned it.

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Here are some of my favorite quotes:

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