Robbie’s Inspiration: Book Tour – Sorrowful Soul by Harmony Kent and a review #Poetry #bookreview #Poetrycommunity

Today, I am delighted to welcome poet and writer, Harmony Kent, to Robbie’s Inspiration with her latest book, Sorrowful Soul: Book 3 in the Soul Poetry Series.

Welcome Harmony

Hi, Robbie.

Thanks so much for hosting me today.

It’s always wonderful to visit with you.

Here’s a little bit I’d love to share about my latest book of poetry, Sorrowful Soul.  Full of freestyle poems, which provide company and compassion through the devastating journey of grief and loss and onward, this heartfelt collection shows us we do not travel this lonely road alone.

Since Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s excellent book on the stages of grief, we now have an established set of seven stages to the grieving process. Although these stages are non-linear and can be revisited at any time, it’s helpful to have a rough idea of what we might expect during this difficult period of transition. The seventh stage is commonly known as Acceptance.

Here’s an extract from the opening lines to a poem about acceptance …

From Part 7: Acceptance

(Extract From Weathering the Storm)

Never tie boats together

Not in a raging storm

They have to remain free

To rock n roll as they will

Too much restraint

Will sink them as surely

As a hole in the hull

Not all vessels

Sail the same seas

Acceptance can be difficult to reach, and we often find ourselves flung out of that state quite abruptly. Have you had experience of this boomerang-like journey? Chat with me in the comments. I hope you enjoyed this poetic excerpt and would love to know what you think. Thanks for reading 😊

BUY NOW: https://mybook.to/SorrowfulSoul

About Sorrowful Soul

If we’re lucky, we meet twilight at the front door and old age creeps in on the night breeze.

Even if we make it to our twilight years, the more we age, the more loss we must endure as part of the cycle of life. Many of these poems lament death, but they also relate to broken relationships, severed friendships, and the loss of youth. This book of grief poetry is as much about saying goodbye and working through loss as it is about death and love split asunder.

This heartfelt collection provides company and compassion through the devastating journey of loss and shows us we do not travel this lonely road alone. Within these pages we share shock, numbness and denial, catapult into anger, bargaining, depression, loneliness, and guilt, and—eventually—make the seismic shift into testing the possibility of a new normal and finding acceptance.

Universal Sales Link:

https://mybook.to/SorrowfulSoul

My review

Sorrowful Soul is an insightful collection of poems relating to loss through death or another means, such as loss of youth or loss of health. As we walk our life paths, none of us will arrive at our own final destinations without being touched by loss of some sort from the deaths of loved ones to the loss of first loves and even empty nest syndrome when our children grow up and leave home. All of these situations results in feelings of loss and uncertainty about our own way forward with life.

The poet has divided this volume into the specific emotions each of us traverses following a significant loss. These are: Shock & Disbelief, Denial, Guilt, Anger & Bargaining, Depression, Loneliness, & Reflection, Working Through, and Acceptance.

The poems are vivid and pull you right into the emotional experience of the writer. If you have experienced loss, they will resonate with you, and even if you haven’t, you will be able to relate to the expression of feeling described in each poem.

A few of my favourite stanzas from three selected poems in this book are as follows:

From Done
“On the counter
The morning sun
Glints on red-stained
Steel carving knife
The calm is over
Now comes the storm
And the leaves fall
As crimson as blood”

From The Waiting Place
“I don’t know where else to wait
So hard to think straight
I’ll not make it through the night
Walk with me into morning light
Hold my empty hand”

From Misstep
“As long as I go on I’m salting the wound
My heart and soul irrevocably marooned
Is there a way out of dishonour’s abyss?
The reaper embraces with his fetid kiss
In this, my darkest hour, I need a friend
A kind soul with a hand to lend”

A beautiful book that will be enjoyed by all lovers of poetry.

About Harmony Kent

Harmony Kent spent 13 years in a Zen Buddhist monastery, where she faced her demons and overcame devastating low self-esteem and found freedom. After a life-changing injury, Harmony returned to the world at the tender age of 40, and her life as a writer began.

Harmony is an award winning multi-genre author, and her publications include:

The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved

The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree/New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015

Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015

Finding Katie (Women’s Fiction)

Slices of Soul (Soul Poetry Series: Book 1)

Life and Soul (Soul Poetry Series: Book 2)

Sorrowful Soul (Soul Poetry Series: Book 3)

Interludes (Erotic Short Stories)

Interludes 2 (Erotic Short Stories)

Moments (Short Stories and Poetry)

Jewel in the Mud (Zen Musings)

Polish Your Prose (How to Self-Edit)

Creative Solutions (Creative Writing Inspiration)

Backstage (Erotic Romance and Thriller)

FALLOUT (Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia) BRAG Medallion Honouree

The Vanished Boy (Psychological Thriller)

As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers reviews and supports her fellow authors. Harmony is always on the lookout for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.

Harmony’s Website

twitter: @harmony_kent

Goodreads: Harmony Kent

BookBub: Harmony Kent

Story Empire (co-authored blog): Harmony Kent

Harmony’s Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks