When Can We Be Soft?: Poems of Female Resilience

by Bobbie Isabel

This collection of poems expresses the female perspective of strength and resilience through pain, trauma, and ultimately hope. Bobbie Isabel explores the pressure women face to constantly be strong, and the exploitation they endure when the world will not let them be soft. Through poetic expression, she has found her voice, as the poem "Keeping Silent" says, that speaks for the little girl she was, that comforts her tormented adolescent self, and that fortifies the broken woman she has been with boundaries of empathy and compassion for who she was at each stage and what she lived, understanding that her tears were not silent but rather screams of injustice.

Genres: Poetry

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2023

Reviews

[Christine Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first poem to the last, I had to sit with each piece and absorb it. This is not meant for the faint of heart. This is not light reading. The poems will rip your heart open and force you to think deeper on society and the emotional toil put on women and girls (and so much more).
The format was great. You travel with the writer as she goes through heartache and ends with hope. I will be rereading this book, highlighting and quoting lines for the rest of my life. It's absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it. But be prepared. Read the warnings. Know your limits. This is not meant to be a one-sitting read. This takes time. And it's well worth it.

[Dartanyan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt the pain on the pages. Though some of the poems were tough to read, I loved and appreciated them all!

[H.C Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy poetry and strong women, these are the poems for you. A wide variety of topics and experiences covered in the poems. I will say I had to take a bit of a break halfway through because it got deep, but they evoke emotions and that is the point of poetry!

[Chrissyyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a survivor of domestic violence that technically shouldn't be Alice, these words are a balm and an awakening. Love the themes of feminine rage and redemption!

[Gracie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing compilation of poetries in one book. I loved each section. Reminded how much I love poetry.

[Leanne Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuine, passionate poetry that encapsulates the experience of being a gentle woman in a hard world. These poems remind us to keep getting back up when life throws us down, and to allow flowers of creativity to grow through the cracks in our resilience. These poems are a mirror to my heart, my soul, my wounds, and my hopes. I couldn’t choose a favourite. As I read Bobbie Isabel’s work I laughed, cried, ached and triumphed. But I want to share two lines that made me do all of those things at once: ‘I write to silence my own triggers that come without warnings.’ Like the rose on the cover: beautiful — with pricks.

[Ann Wickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passionate.. emotional.. do not explain it enough.

Not delicate like a flower, delicate like a bomb.

You know when there's that low rumble down deep in your soul and you want to just tilt your head back and scream to the heavens with the anger flowing like a volcano out of you? But then you see a little child with their fat little fingers clutching the most beautiful dandelion and suddenly the world doesn't seem that bad..
Well she found a way to let the lava flow without destroying the dandelion or the wishes it will carry.

[Sandra Damiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Can We Be Soft?: Poems of Female Resilience is an honest look at how women experience the world. The poet has poems about individualized experiences in her collection, but every woman will feel a sense of sisterhood in the poet's writings. I especially liked how the poet allows you to feel the turmoil and strength in her poetry simultaneously. I can't wait to read more from this author. Bright shiny 5 stars all the way!

[Kelsey Danford · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely beautiful