Attempting to Define: Love

by H.M. Jones

Attempting to Define is a series of four books of poetry. Attempting to Define: Love is the first of the series. This small poetry collection looks at the light and dark sides of romantic love. The poetry is unassuming in form, introspective, playful, sometimes heartbreaking and often sardonic, but always honest. The love we experience is, after all, tainted by our own faults.

28 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2014

About the author

H.M. Jones is the B.R.A.G Medallion author of Monochrome, to be re-released by Feminine Collective in Aug. 2016. She is also responsible for the Attempting to Define poetry quartet and has contributed a short story to Master’s of Time: A Sci-Fi and Fantasy Time Travel Anthology, entitled "The Light Storm of 2015." A bestseller only in her mind, Jones pays the electric bill by teaching English and research courses at Northwest Indian College. Jones is also the moderator for Elite Indie Reads, a review website for Indie and Self published books.

Besides buying enough second-hand books to fill a library, Jones loves to spend time helping her preschoolers grow into thinking, feeling citizens of this world, run, weave, pull with the Port Gamble S’Klallam Canoe Family and attempt to deserve her handsome husband, who is helping pay the other bills until his wife becomes the next big thing.

Reviews

[Dennis Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing poetry is a gift, one which Ms. Jones is well on her way to mastering. In my experience it requires inspiration, motivation and the ability to convey the very deepest feelings of one's soul with words. In this collection of poems about love the author has done just that. I don't read a lot of poetry but the theme, love, caught my attention and prompted me to read it. Did I 'love' every poem in the collection -- no. Did her work make me feel -- yes! For me to enjoy poetry it must move me, make me reflect upon my relationships, help me see what the writer is saying…not so much with my head as with my heart. In this task and on the topic of love, H.M. Jones' collection of timely verses hit the target.

It only took me a few minutes to read the entire work but there are lines and thoughts which have haunted me since. The writing style is varied, something for everyone's taste. In many of the titles I saw myself and the people I love and it helped remind me of how precious love truly is. Thank you for sharing this work.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection of poems, it speaks volumes about love and paints a vivid portrait of the woman who wrote them. They stirred lost memories of my own and I am sure I will pull this out from time to time to remind myself what a joy it can be to be in love, the good and the bad.

The last verse in "Why You?" spoke to me.

"I have never loved me fully
until I saw myself,
beautiful,
at the end of your fingertips."

Love has a way of making everything beautiful and she manages to convey that eloquently.

Goodreads win!

[Jean Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the forward of 'Attempting to Define: Love', HM Jones writes, 'Love is continually being redefined by every person living.' The poems in this collection demonstrate that truth, and that the constantly changing emotion is often, if not always, dependent on our love of self.

Jones writes:
"I never loved me fully
until I saw myself,
beautiful,
at the end of your
fingertips."

This is a satisfying collection that offers what love poems should, a look into the intimate space where heart and mind meet and make our relationships uniquely our own.

[Becky Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i liked this book

[Mii · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read!

[H.M. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a bit biased because I wrote the poetry, so don't take my word for it. Read it!