Made of Rivers [Revised & Expanded]

by Emory Hall

Now revised and expanded with new poems, this raw, honest poetry collection carries readers through the winding currents of self-discovery, transformation, and healing, leading to a glistening sea of love and triumph.

she asked me what it felt like –
to feel at home in my body.
“like breathing underwater
like having sunlight for bones
like an ocean for a heart
and chamomile tea for blood.”

With these words and more, Emory Hall’s debut poetry collection follows the unique anatomy of a river, swelling with loss and grief, and dances with the sacred waters of transformation and motherhood. Full of magic and deep emotion, Made of Rivers will wash anew all those who come to it, uncovering hidden corners of the self, longing to be discovered. It explores the feminine and draws upon Emory’s own wellspring of life experiences, hardships, triumphs, and revelations. Her work sheds light on vital themes of healing and self-care, offers solace to those navigating profound loss, and strikes a chord with mothers, both seasoned and new, who find their own journey mirrored in the pages of her poetry.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Adult

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Alyssa Staniland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told myself I’d read more poetry this year and this was such a lovely start

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio experience is really special, I look forward to revisiting this again and again.

[Emma Whitacre · Rating 4 out of 5]

For poetry lovers, and anyone who was carried grief in their hearts, you’ll find yourself and perhaps find more compassion for yourself in Emory’s words. So beautiful and inspiring.

[Kerri Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with so many poems I could have written, so many feelings I feel often/have felt/will feel again. It's a beautiful collection, though I wish it were a larger collection, too. 

Here's one of my favorites: 

it's funny how
the thing that gives me 
the most words
is silence.

// writing is listening

[Four-point-five stars for being a book of poems I can carry with me in my pocket, literally and metaphorically, and one I know I'll return to often.] 

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and soft and sweet. Each poem feels like a tender thing.

[Susan Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book of 2025, six weeks into February. And that's okay. I am going to try not to plead the "I'm so behind/overwhelmed" card anymore. I'm doing the best I can, prioritizing/juggling all the To Do items on my agenda, and reading is a pleasure I need to make more time for, and I will. Space and Grace. Thanks to my sister Mari for planting that seed in my brain over a year ago... 💖

This book is exquisite; I am grateful to friend and garden cohort Jessica for this holiday gift, so beautiful, thoughtful, and relevant. These poems speak to my heart, especially come sit by my garden:

let my gardens speak for me when i am gone. let them speak in colored whispers of all the beauty i have seen. and felt. and lived. let them speak of how much death had to find me; how many hard seasons it took to make me a living, breathing thing. let them speak of my seasons of growth and abundance but let them also tell of my seasons of loss and decay. let the soft, wet earth be a reminder of hardness that didn't win. of sadness that didn't calcify. of surrender that triumphed over resistance. and let the glorious, fragrant blooms speak of my life and its greatest lesson: that the beauty we make never dies.

Whew Wow Whoa... 💥

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely gorgeous book of poems, I devoured it quickly and am now sitting in a puddle of my tears. Emory’s writing is so relatable and succinct and I know I will read this over and over again.

[Tori Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a thousand women alone is worth the read of this book. I’ve been an admirer of poetry for so long but never actually read a poetry book and loved a 30 minute read that made me feel so deeply.

[Kasey Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, so beautiful!

[Kim Stuckmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. I feel like this is a book I will revisit again and again.

[mud pony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, some of the poems speak true of grief, loss and love. And how we can heal from each.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much emotion in so few words.

[Morgan G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing first poetry book!! So many of these beautiful poems spoke to my heart and soul. Thank you Emory Hall!!

[Allegra Wermuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

in their simplicity, her words are profound.

[Wren Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of beautifully composed words is like soothing salve to every achy and tender part of me. Pure golden light. I devoured it start to finish by the riverside.

make peace

with all the women

you once were.

lay flowers

at their feet

offer them incense

and honey

and forgiveness

honor them

and give them your silence

listen

bless them

and let them be

for they are the bones

of the temple

you sit in now

for they are

the rivers

of wisdom

leading you toward

the sea.

[Brittaney Baca · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is such a gorgeous human with such delicate writing that speaks from her soft heart. Makes sense cause that’s how her voice is too!

[Amber Upson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love poetry, and I frequently wrote poems in my angst-ridden teenage years (longing to pick the practice back up). When I think back to the feelings and effort I put into my writing, it bothers me that a book of poetry can be published in which one of the "poems" consists of three words--two of which are the same word. I see that so much with modern poetry. That's not a poem! That's something anybody could have said, probably has said, and you were just (presumably) the first to put it in a book with your name on the cover! But, art is subjective. And I don't ignore the depth of feeling present in many of the poems included in this volume.

[SaraJane · Rating 3 out of 5]

the love that is meant for you
will always find you -
the river
always finds
the sea.
// inevitable

some love leaves us
with an ache so wide and deep
that we build a home
for all the pain
that lives inside of us.
our work is not
to become architects
for our houses of loss,
but rather to feel the throb of loss
so fully
that it moves through us
like water.
the hardness does not stay,
only the memory.
and what is memory but
proof
that we are
breathing
beating
hearts.
// metabolism

sometimes we must edit
the stories we tell ourselves.
// self-talk

some clarity disrupts.
find it anyway.
// truth

make peace
with all the women
you once were.
lay flowers
at their feet.
offer them incense
and honey
and forgiveness.
honor them
and give them
your silence.
listen.
bless them
and let them be.
for they are the bones
of the temple
you sit in now.
for they are
the riveres
of wisdom
leading you toward
the sea.
// I have been a thousand different women

how beautifully
leaves die for us
in fall
and yet
we continue to
whisper
about death -
as if it isn't
the most
natural
thing
we do.
// cycles

[Bree Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

“what remembering it takes
to swallow up so much memory in ink.
what bravery it takes
to lay those secrets out
naked
under the light of a full moon.
the deep churning of stars turned into language.
the ancient medicine of blood and bone
distilled into story.”

4.5 stars. I’m currently working at a bookstore for the summer and this book caught my eye, so instead of working I sat in the poetry section for 20 minutes and read this book cover to cover and it was so incredible.

This collection reminded me of all the reasons why instapoetry is one of the best modern forms of modern poetry. Emory Hall takes us on a journey through womanhood and all the wonders and hardships associated with it, told through small vignette-like poems that are all wrapped in a beautiful metaphor of running water.

If anyone ever says that instapoetry isn’t “real poetry”, all they need to do is read three of Hall’s poems and they will have no choice but to concede to her poetic genius.

[wulvz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read with not much to unpack yet lovely prose and really beautiful language.

There are times where I resent poets for being so rudimentary because it feels like there is either a lack of insight, lack of revelation, lack of perspective, or lack of transparency, however Emory Hall lacks none of these things.

She is clearly a talented writer and poet and I can’t say there was a single poem that bothered me. I however just felt like the revelations in this one were a bit elementary or “sugary”.

I often times find happy poets to be the most engaging when they explain the process and pain they had to endure to get there, a lot of this felt like “this is how sweet it feels to feel sweet” with moments of grief intermixed.

That’s really my only critique. Still enjoyed it.

[Hillary Chamberlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emory Hall's beautiful book of poetry showcases her unique voice. With a focus on motherhood, grief and loss, healing, art and writing and how we are all connected to the natural world. I particularly loved -woman, -inevitable, -travel, -wild and -i have been a thousand different women among the others. This little book of art clearly has a lot of love written into the pages and I hope it resonates with others as much as it did with me. Great collection to add to anyone's shelves. One in which can be read over and over to find new meaning each time. Thank you Emory for your lovely words and open heart.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem. I find myself returning to it throughout the day, either reading it all the way through again or just flipping through the pages and seeing where I land. Makes me want to return to my own writing. I also love that there are blank pages at the end titled "Musings", which just invites you to take pen/pencil to page to jot your words down while the inspiration lingers. I've sent pictures of some of the poems to friends and family to much admiration. I look forward to reading more of Emory's work.

[Elaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the style of the poems wasn't always to my taste - some were barely ten words long, maybe three short lines - there were some that were really lovely and spoke to me. My favourites were:
* the day you left, in august
* love language
* writing is listening
and
* i have been a thousand different women

My favourite part was from "writing is listening"

"it's funny how
the thing that gives me
the most words
is silence."

[Marissa | storiesinthemeadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the ideas explored in these poems—motherhood, what it means to be a woman. I particularly liked the tie-ins with water and the ebb and flow within that thematic sense.

I have a hard time when there’s no capitalization! 🤦🏼‍♀️ I know that’s just personal preference on my part and it was intentional by the poet, but there you have it. 😅 And, the same is holding true for me in poetry as well as prose…the more old poetry I read the harder time I have appreciating modern poetry.

[Oana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if there had been only one poem in this book, I Have Been a Thousand Women Before, it would have been more than worth the price. Thankfully, there are many more just as beautiful. I love the sensitivity, the pouring of heart, the awakened approach. I could read it all again and again. Truly remarkable, and I love it with all my heart. How could someone rate this less than 5 stars is honestly beyond me.

[Emily - whatemilysreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

You’ve probably seen Emory’s poetry floating around on Instagram like I had, which is why I wanted to pick this one up. Overall I enjoyed the collection, it was a quick enjoyable read that felt very accessible for most readers. I did think that, reading the poems back to back, some of them felt very similar, so I think I would have liked it more if there had been a little more diversity in the themes and imagery she was using.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poems of being a woman and what it's like to be a mother really resonated with me. Part IV called the Sea was filled with poems that spoke to me about what it takes to live in my own skin, how hard but beautiful it is to give birth, and how beautiful it is to have a child. The poems made me miss my grown children so much as it brought back memories of how much I loved raising them. I found all the poetry in this book to be powerful and poignant. So glad I bought this book.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made of Rivers, a blind poetry pickup

I randomly find myself grabbing for a poetry book. This book was a great find and made for an enjoyable book.

Filled with poetry for women, motherhood, grief, and other wisdom based poems. I really enjoyed the layout of these poems and found myself wiping tears multiple times. These are raw and beautiful poems!

What a great collection of debut poetry! I will be keeping an eye on what is to come from Emory in the future.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single piece of writing in this book is so incredibly beautiful, but together they take you on a journey of getting to know yourself in an even deeper way, especially as women. Emory’s words wash over you and leave you feeling refreshed and renewed with a new perspective on how precious this life really is.

A beautiful piece of work and it makes me excited for what she’ll create next!