This Soul Estranged – Candice Samuelson

*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Blurb: Explore the antithetical worlds of love and loss in this two fold collection of poetry that dives into the world of human emotion, only to be lost in the swelling sea.

This collection of short poems is split into two separate sections: both dealing with love, but the first section covers the lows of love lost, while the second deals with the highs of love ongoing.

The poems offer a deeply personal and intimate insight into the author’s feelings, in the desolation after a relationship has ended, and whilst within its fiery grip. We see the effect on the heart, the mind, the body. How it looks, sounds, tastes, feels.

The language used is quite simple and direct, and therefore accessible, even to those unfamiliar with poetic format and language. This simplicity also strikes directly to the core of the emotions explored, with a raw honesty which helps the reader to connect with the feelings exposed, even when the subject matter is outside the reader’s own personal experiences of love.

I found many of these poems relatable and some memorable long after I put the book down. Whilst the language and construction are deceptively simple, the depths of emotion contained bear re-reading and lingering on, so I would recommend this as the ideal book for poetry lovers dip in and sip from, or for beginners to the genre, as a sweet but strong taster.

Between our first touch and our last,
I built imaginary futures
that only I would ever dream of.
That only I would ever ache for.
That only I would ever mourn.
– Candice Samuelson, ‘Imaginary Futures’ in This Soul Estranged