Stages of a Healing Heart

by Patrick Johns

Inescapable change. Shattering forgiveness. Heart-wrenching goodbyes

Time passes. The one you loved is now a distant stranger. Instead of dwelling over the heartache, you’ve come to find a sense of forgiveness and acceptance. It still hurts. It will always hurt. But while your heart has been stripped down and repaired, you have grown to learn that moving forward stronger than before is the healthy way to mend a broken heart.

Patrick Johns pours his heart out one more time in Stages of a Healing Heart, focusing on poems of false acceptance and moving on. This third and final installment of A Broken Heart Poetry Collection shares the honest emotions Johns endured during the healing process of his breakups from his adolescence to adulthood. Scraping words from his old block phones and crumpled papers lying in his closet, Johns looks back on his own past relationships to recast his raw emotions, allowing readers to connect to the affliction and heartache that comes with the acceptance of moving on.

This is a story of young love and heartbreaking betrayals, but more importantly, a story of apprehension and growth.

145 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

Born and raised in Ramsey, New Jersey, Patrick Johns attended university at Virginia Tech, obtaining an engineering and mathematics degree. Go Hokies! However, writing is Patrick’s true passion. After writing his first novel, Junkland, the first book in The Hoarding series, Patrick left his engineering job to teach English in Spain and pursue writing. Four years later, Patrick returned to his roots to connect and spread his joy for books with readers all over New Jersey. When he’s not writing, managing his literary magazine, The Kraken’s Spire, and teaching English, he’s surfing, hiking, traveling, or writing music.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the ending part, it showed a lot of growth..I struggled in the beginning, mostly because I just couldn't connect. I took heartbreak in a different way, so I can't judge. I know heartbreak and healing is dealt with in so many different ways, not everyone gets it. I feel everything was from the heart, and many parts made my heart hurt. I do recommend giving it a try. Overall it was a good read.

[Edward Kees]

I received this book as an ARC copy. Admitting your troubles and fears, openly talking about what one went through during a dark period takes more strength than most think, and the author being able to gather the courage to recall those memories to put together this collection is commendable.

[Patrick Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I set out on a journey in 2018 to collect all the words I had written about breakups during my teenage years and twenties. After discovering I had more than enough poems to fill 3 books, I began to revisit these poems book by book to dive deeper into what I had felt during those periods of pain and suffering. It was a wild experience for sure and looking back made me learn more about myself. So fricken pumped to have the entire series finished after 6 years putting this all together. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the support!

[Juilliaunna Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read the whole series and now that I've gotten a chance I can't but feel bittersweet about this ending
It was everything I needed and more
It was my heart being laid on a platter
I was connecting on so many levels and I can't help but be amazed by the true beauty of this author
Thank you for this journey so that I may get through my own

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intriguing book of poetry. This book leads you from teenage angst from when your first love breaks up with you to finally finding peace and forgiveness. The journey thru is beautiful and heartbreaking, to say the least, and the author does not shy away from the sadness that they experienced. I'm glad that he learned to love himself in the end.

Glue your eyes forward and let your past be the past.

[Aby Cadena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'am a big fan of poetry and this book is very awsome, I like the writing.
I recomended 100%
He put the words on a feelings that maybe you felt years ago or you just feel right now I can relate on that.
A good and confort reading 🫶

[Raj Savalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading poetry in years. I have to say I really enjoyed it the journey this book takes you on. This book is makes you feel the stages of grief unfolding as you read. It's a must-read not only for the poetry but for the shared experiences with the author. It’s also very well written and evocative. But even with the turmoil there's some hope woven in. It’s a beautiful exploration of different emotions and the healing process after heartbreak. I’d highly recommend!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh perspective through the lenses of a young man healing from a broken heart.

[Sofia Tejada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book so much. each sentence was filled with a deepness and beauty. I could seriously feel the emotion the author was trying to portray in each word. This is the type of book you will always go back to. Like a song you can play over and over again. I can’t wait to read more of his writing!

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I love them, I don't read poems much anymore, and when I was given the opportunity to read this book, I grabbed it with both hands. I'm sure that everyone has felt, at some point in their lives, heartache, loss and pain of a breakup, of a relationship gone sour, of a love so all encompassing, one can't think straight. Well these poems capture the rawness of the emotions, the trauma of gut wrenching pain, in such a compellingly poignant way, that MY emotions came flooding to the forefront! Each poem evokes new, strong responses in my heart, my brain, my gut. So well written, I instinctively reacted to each word. It propelled, it expelled, it drove every nail in slowly, tearing at my senses like a book torn apart, tattered by a gale force wind. And yet, these poems are not all about being pulled apart, there is longing, their is hope, there IS a future, there IS coming back from the precipice of despair and forgiveness soothes all the rough edges. And the peace of letting go that brings a rebuilding of one's life with a brighter future ahead. As these parting words at the end of this collection of poems so succinctly portray, learning to forgive, learning to love again is freeing: "When love is gone You’ll learn to Love your friends When hope is gone You’ll learn to Hope again When trust is gone You’ll learn to Fix those bends When love is gone You’ll learn to Love again"

[Kyrie Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It’s like watching the sun
It’s too strong to look right through
But I keep looking back anyway
To see if I can forgive you"
- The Moon and the Sun

I really enjoyed this poignant poetry collection. Johns knows how to convey emotions with simple yet illustrative stories that reach into my memories and remind me of how heartbreak affects us all. It takes courage to write about so many personal, painful experiences and then publish them. I applaud the author for this.

The book ends on a hopeful note, and I finished it with a renewed appreciation of the healthy relationships in my life. If you're going through a rough time and want something that affirms you're not alone, go read this book! It's an incredibly cathartic 30-minute trip.

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally do not read poems, but this is a touching collection of poetry. It takes me back to being an emotional teenager myself and reminds me all the heartbreak I had thought I was going through. It captures the complete emotional rollercoaster of being young and in love and then heartbroken. It also moves into the acceptance and finally moving on. For anyone who has ever been in love and then broken up, this will resonate with you!

[Larry Vernier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible journey this book takes you on. You can Invision the stages progressing as you read it. It's a must read book not just for the poetry but for the experiences you share with the author as you read it.

[Kevin Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something to help you through changing relationships

[Jesse Schambach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved picking this book up and reading in relaxing Sundays. Regardless of your mood it makes you feel something. That is what being human is all about!

[December Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely great when you're dealing with broken heart