Bellyache: Poems for Sensitive Souls

by Brianna M. Pastor

From the author of Good Grief, an intimate collection of poems and prose which offers a glimpse into the mind of a highly sensitive person, or empath.

In a world that has become increasingly difficult to navigate—physically, mentally, and spiritually—having empathy is more important than ever. But what if you have a highly sensitive mind? Highly sensitive people, known as empaths, have an expanded capacity to feel not only one set of emotions but also those of others. They experience life more deeply than the average person, leaving them more susceptible to nervous system dysregulation, emotional trauma, and abuse.

Divided into three parts—Body, Mind, and Soul—Brianna Pastor’s intimate collection of poems invites us to explore what it’s like to discover high sensitivity in adulthood and view life through an empathetic lens. Hopefully, by deepening our understanding of sensitivity and how it affects others, we can move one step closer to a more connected, healed world.

I have a bellyache

from constantly absorbing

all this pain.

 

I’d ask you to refrain from telling me,

but your eyes already have.

Genres: Poetry

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always interesting to me to read how highly sensitive people describe their emotions. It's almost like they are giving you a scale by which you can measure the depth of their feelings.
There were instances when I read an entire poem or even just a single line and thought what a beautiful way for the author to explain something that is not always so beautiful to experience.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperOne, and everyone involved for the copy in epub. My review is my own.

Genuinely needed a palette cleanser and I love this more modern poetry for that. I don’t think this is everyone’s cup of tea but that’s fine, it was mine. This was a good, fulfilling quick read.

I read a lot of modern poetry and really liked this. It’s hard to elaborate on a book of poems, of course some are stronger but overall it flowed well and I was engaged to read more. I ate it up quick.

Must read for modern poetry readers.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is for the sensitive readers.

[Baillie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry for sensitive souls? count me in!

I felt both seen and heard while reading the words of another person's thoughts and emotions. poetry is just super cool like that, ya know? Brianna Pastor does a wonderful job.

[Mhughessc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brianna Pastor is an author who is new to me, but I look forward to discovering more of her work! In her latest work, "Bellyache: Poems for Sensitive Souls," she has compiled a collection of poetry for those who have felt like they're too much for others and that they feel too much. Pastor explains how she grew up feeling like she was overly sensitive and couldn't understand how others didn't feel the same emotional weight she did. Upon learning she was an empath, things started to make more sense to her. She has divided this book into three sections: body, mind, and soul. Pastor reminds herself that life "would not be as sweet if it did not sometimes sting" and writes about her innermost feelings.

While I enjoyed the whole book, my favorite section was as follows: "In case your brain is telling you otherwise -- You matter. People are not better off without you . . . I know you have been hurt so often that you've lost count, and I know that hurt piles up. It's easy to find meaning in the hurt and assume the blame. The truth is that you're not responsible for how another person moves through the world or how they treat other people . . . A misalignment between people does not equate to your worth or what you bring to this world," Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been following Brianna Pastor on Instagram for a couple of years now, so I was happy to receive an ARC edition of her new and soon-to-be-published poetry collection, Bellyache: Poems for Sensitive Souls (HarperOne, expected February 24, 2026).

Brianna is a highly sensitive empath with a beautiful sense of . . . translation . . . in her poetry. She is able to use her keen understanding of herSELF and how she moves in the world to help her readers relate to the feelings and heartbeats of a sensitive soul.

As with most poetry collections, I enjoyed some poems more than others. That always has to do with my state of mind, as a reader. I find that poems I particularly relate to one day may not even be on my radar another. For me, that is the gift of a poetry collection! You never quite read the same collection twice - even if you are reading the same collection twice.

My favorite poems in this collection (for today, at least) include many of the selections in Part 3: Soul. I can’t wait to get my hands on the actual, published collection for my personal poetry library - and to gift to other friends.

(Also . . . the cover is very lovely.)

Thank you to HarperOne and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The collection will be published on February 24, 2026.

4 stars

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellyache surprised me in the quiet way books sometimes do. I did not expect to highlight this much, but line after line felt uncomfortably familiar. The poems sit with rumination, self doubt, grief, love, and that exhausting habit of carrying everyone else before yourself. There is a tenderness here, but also honesty. About being in your head. About wanting to be loved without being fixed. About learning when to hold on and when to let go. It reads like someone asking the same questions many of us are afraid to say out loud. Not every poem landed the same, but enough of them did that I felt seen more often than not. That is rare. I finished this knowing I will be following this author closely.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperOne for the ARC!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous collections of poems. A few of my favorite annotations…

“I find myself wanting to stretch this skin over your body and live your pain for you.”

“The right people will never question that heart of yours.”

“Chapter 117 You can’t force your heart to mend until you feel everything that it asks you to feel. Then it will cooperate. But first you must be willing to lay in the mess.”

** thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy **

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, quick read. I found myself highlighting a lot so I could share passages or entire poems and also revisit them myself. In a time when the world weighs heavily on everyone, there were some timely reminders in this collection for those who are maybe more sensitive than others.

I have a bellyache
from constantly absorbing
all this pain.

I’d ask you to refrain from telling me,
but your eyes already have.

e-arc provided by NetGalley ❤️

[Charlsie Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shortest poems spoke to me the most in this collection. Simple, understated, yet powerful. It reminded me why a caring, empathetic heart is more than a shield in a war-stricken world. I’ve recommended to several other sensitive souls. Thanks to HarperOne and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.