Trigger Warning: Poetry Saved My Life

by Zachary Kluckman (Editor/Contributor)

For decades, the coffee houses, darkly shadowed bar stools, inner city apartments, and subway stations have sounded the echo of this phrase - poetry saved my life. Poets worldwide have uttered these words to one another like a scared truth, a shared secret. Not all of them certainly, but enough. Enough to make this little tome more than a mere collection of voices, but a vital, celebratory reminder that poetry still opens the door for those whose screams are strangled by pillows. Here are the sounds of pleasure heralded against shoulders, the uplifted voices and stark tremolos of those who have survived the turmoil and trembling because they found something so deceptively simple - so heart-wrenchingly real.

156 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2014

Reviews

[Chris Eagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed bag. Some very good. Some pretty awful.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd collection of poetry and prose with the theme of being saved by poetry. In some cases, I see it, the battered and bruised who never read poetry, who never wrote. In despair they turned to poetry, and they were saved, maybe, except for those who weren't saved, who nearly ended their lives, or reverted to drugs. But all were eventually saved. Except famous poets like Silvia Plath, Virginia Wolff, or 154 others. In a sense this reminds me of all those who are "saved" by religions, by running, by incredible diets, by AA -- in other words, perhaps the poetry, or some other religion didn't really save their lives, as much as they did, by simply trying something new, by focusing on it, practicing it, and using it as a a tool to change when they simply would not get their shit together any other way, or life itself was too overwhelming. So, essentially, they changed their lives themselves, after deciding to, which is pretty much how we all deal with life. People seem to get into this rut of thinking that nothing will change, that they will always feel this way, or be treated this way, or that they are the only ones who feel this way or suffer defeats or deaths, or soul-crushing losses, whereas everything changes, often whether you take an active part in it or not, and nearly everyone experiences such things.
So, it seems to me, that poetry can change your life, or your attitude towards it, simply by telling it. Confessing it. And then suddenly you find out that other people understand that. That you weren't connecting with other peoples' lives, problems, and solutions. But, now people will listen, maybe applaud, maybe publish what you write, and connect with you. And you go to poetry readings and slams and listen to other people. And read what other people have written. Congratulations! you're part of the human race. Of poverty, suffering, pain, ostracism, defeat, loneliness and despair. But mostly life is about how you survive all that, if you so choose.
Oddly enough, writers are twice as likely to commit suicide. Is it because they were drawn to poetry or writing by their melancholia, and it made them more creative? And their success masked their troubled minds? Or because there are no panaceas? Not even poetry?

[Edmund Davis-Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great stuff in this anthology.

Poetry can mean so many different things to so many people.

John Survivor Blake's piece is a standout.

[Johanna Ggg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit and miss as short stories tend to be - nice to see some stories that follow on from familiar stories - a sherlock holmes, a dr who story, one that has Shadow from American Gods. So lovely short stories that are have great twists like the cassandra story about the perfect boyfriend. Did not like the Orange story but loved the Sleeper and Spindle. Go Snow White!

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Unique, Enchanting & Beautiful! I Loved It!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

short stories