Pent Up Thoughts

by James B. Agape

"Pent Up Thoughts" is a remarkable collection of journaled thoughts, messages, and poems that shine a captivating light on the complex depths of mental health and self-care. This book beckons readers to take a soul-stirring voyage, delving into the complexities of anxiety, depression, self-love and acceptance, relationships, coping mechanisms, healing, and the widespread stigmas surrounding mental health. Divided into six sections, each part sheds light on an indispensable angle of the mental well-being experience, beautifully intertwined with self-care, resilience, and hope topics. This collection seeks to provide solace, inspiration, and a sense of connection to those battling mental health challenges or searching for a deeper understanding of the human experience and themselves.

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 3, 2024

Reviews

[Aly Brisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If, like me, you approach poetry as a means of contemplation, relaxation, and enjoying the rhythm of words and their ability to weave metaphors, similes, and craft imaginative worlds, you might initially feel a sense of shock when you start reading "Pent Up Thoughts."
The poetry here is sharp—it doesn’t help you relax but rather makes you tense. However, if you endure that initial shock, you’ll find yourself diving into a unique world crafted by James B. Agape. In this world, he offers profoundly fresh and deep ideas about the mind, consciousness, emotions, and the inner human experience.
It is raw Emotion shines with authenticity, offering readers a glimpse into the internal battles of the poet. Lines like "My mind, a battlefield fraught with doubt" and "Anxiety grips me, a vice around my throat" vividly express the experience of living with mental health challenges.
The use of metaphor is poignant and effective, particularly with phrases like "a storm that rages without end" and "depression lingers, a storm cloud that won't float." These metaphors create vivid mental images that resonate with anyone familiar with such emotions.

Despite the heavy themes, the poetry consistently offers glimpses of hope, resilience, and determination, such as "a glimmer of hope, a glint of steel" and "you have the strength to keep on fighting." This balance between despair and hope is both uplifting and relatable.
Universality

The poems are relatable for anyone who has experienced mental health struggles or knows someone who has. The inclusion of encouragement for others, as in "Just remember that you aren’t by yourself," broadens the appeal.
Some themes and phrases, such as storms and internal battles, recur frequently. While effective, varying the imagery and language could enhance the diversity and impact of the poems.
The rhythm is inconsistent in certain stanzas, which might disrupt the reader's immersion. Refining the meter and ensuring smoother transitions between lines could make the poems more cohesive.
Abstract vs. Concrete Imagery

While the metaphors are strong, some lines rely heavily on abstract concepts (e.g., "a whirlwind of emotions that's hard to win"). Adding more specific, tangible imagery could ground the reader further in the poet's experience.
The structure of the collection could benefit from clearer sectioning or themes, separating poems about internal struggles from those about hope and recovery for a more organized flow.
Overall Impression
This collection of poems is heartfelt, relatable, and inspiring. It effectively conveys the weight of mental health struggles while offering a message of resilience and hope. With some fine-tuning in structure and language, it has the potential to resonate even more deeply with readers.

[Elly Kamari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instant Appeal: In an in-depth look at the crippling struggle through depression and anxiety, hope prevails, and infinite possibilities are born out of the persistence to keep going.
“With each step you take, a victory you gain/
and before long, the strength of your will reigns.”
Pent Up Thoughts is a very intimate journey of self-reflection, a call to celebrate moments of self-love and learn how to practice self-acceptance. It is a brutal look at depression and anxiety and the cost it can ravage a mind. James B. says, ‘Managing anxiety and depression is not a battle to be won, but a journey to be embraced.’ Each small step forward is a triumph, every day, every minute, every second.
There are low moments in life. It has to be acknowledged. The negative emotional impact of these low moments happens to all of us. Some more than others, but the negative impact happens and it takes a toll. James B. argues, that if you or I are in one of those very low moments, and a negative state, ‘…you don’t have to thug it out. It’s okay to reach out and ask for help.’
It’s okay to not be okay. And when you’re not okay, it is absolutely right to reach out to someone you trust and say, “Hey, today has been really hard for me. Can we talk for a minute?” And when someone you love or know says this to you, take the time to listen. Don’t judge. Don’t even try to offer a solution. Just listen. What matters when you’re struggling is getting through the now and focusing on getting through today.
James B. says, “I think having genuine and deep conversations goes a long way toward forming better human connections.” It is surprising how many conversations we can have in a day, but the one that sticks with you is the one person who wants to know if you’re happy, or if you ate today.
Pent Up Thoughts argues that we should celebrate self-love, and self-acceptance, and embrace our vulnerabilities, quirks, and imperfections. Once we can achieve these things, we shall show up for those who are around us in our true authentic selves. And perhaps build better connections so that when someone taps our shoulder and says, ‘Hey, can we talk for a minute?’ We can listen and provide an authentic human connection.
Favorite quote: Embracing your imperfections and vulnerabilities is a sign of true strength. It takes courage to show up as your authentic self and love yourself unconditionally.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope is essential and can be found in even the hardest circumstances.

I appreciated the time and effort the author put into describing just how exhausting and hopeless life can feel when someone is struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Even small steps in the right direction can feel as difficult as running a marathon or climbing Mount Everest. This isn’t always something that people who have never struggled with mental illness can easily understand, so I was glad to see it spelled out so clearly. Understanding that headspace is imperative to beginning to heal as well as to figuring out how to help someone who feels trapped by their illness.

The repetition in this book made it difficult for my interest levels to remain high. Certain points were brought up in almost every chapter without clear explanations as to why the author was mentioning them again. This would have been more effective if those sentences were trimmed down or if new information was included in later references to those subjects in my opinion.

The poems were beautiful, and I appreciated their steady cadence and rhyming schemes. Mr. Agape used those rules to explore the wide variety of emotions he experienced before, during, and after his diagnosis became official. There’s beauty to be found everywhere in life, especially in the parts of it that most people would struggle with if it happened to them. He has a real flair for this form of writing and it is my hope that he will be able to publish more of it soon. If or when there’s another poetry collection from him, I’d love to read it!

I should note that I was not aware this was an inspirational title when I requested it. The religious content is an occasional part of the author’s advice and takes up about ten to fifteen percent of the entire book. Still, it was and still is an important part of his life and healing process, so it was interesting to see how his faith affected the choices he made as he struggled with the hardest portions of his mental illness.

Pent Up Thoughts was thought provoking.

[John Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my view, "Pent Up Thoughts" is a remarkable collection of journaled thoughts, messages, and poems that I believe shine a captivating light on the complex depths of mental health and self-care.
I felt that this book beckons readers to take a soul-stirring voyage, delving into the complexities of anxiety, depression, self-love and acceptance, relationships, coping mechanisms, healing, and the widespread stigmas surrounding mental health.

I liked the way it was organized by being divided into six sections, as each part sheds light on an indispensable angle of the mental well-being experience, beautifully intertwined with self-care, resilience, and hope topics.

All in all, I felt that this book seeks to provide solace, inspiration, and a sense of connection to those battling mental health challenges or searching for a deeper understanding of human experience and themselves.

Very well done and highly recommended.

It was my pleasure to receive a free copy of this book but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this extraordinary work.

[Micheal John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book