War Cry: battles, Bruises and Medals

by Henana Berjes

"Forgiveness was a bubble; It burst."
Written over three years, these are poems that were born in places that hurt, midnight bedrooms, hospital waiting areas, and forgotten roads where breath came slow. They hold grief, betrayal, loss, and the small, stubborn acts of staying. They call out the bruises, stitch the torn places, and plant flowers in the vacuum left behind.

This book will make you ache. It will make you flare. It will make you rise.
Each line is an armament and an offering; a witness to what breaks and to what learns to hold itself together. Here are songs for women who carry too much and refuse to be erased. Here are instructions for breathing again. Read it when you need that pain can be a map, that survival can be fierce, and that sometimes the softest voice is the loudest war cry.

— Henana Berjes

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2025

About the author

Dr Henana Berjes is a practising Anesthesiologist and Intensivist besides being a passionate writer. She stays with her two amazing boys in a peaceful cottage in the outskirts of Srinagar. When she is not writing, you'll find her reading, trekking, or tending to her beautiful garden. Dr. Berjes has worked and traveled widely through the Middle East, a place that she describes as mysterious but heartwarming. Look out for her second book, a collection of short stories that deal with the blank spaces between relationships.

Reviews

[Shahida Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not just a collection of poems—it’s a mirror, a wound, and a healing hand all at once. Every line carries raw truth, born from places of silence, grief, and survival. It doesn’t shy away from pain; instead, it transforms it into strength, into reminders that staying is an act of courage and that even brokenness can bloom into beauty.

The writing aches, it burns, and then it lifts you. Each poem feels like both an offering and an anchor—a guide for anyone who has ever carried too much, lost too deeply, or struggled to breathe again. It teaches that pain can be a map, survival can be fierce, and the softest voice can still shake the world.

This is more than poetry—it’s a survival manual for the heart. 🌹

[Sheeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every poem in this collection feels like a pulse — steady, aching, and alive. The author writes from the heart’s bruised corners, weaving words born from grief, betrayal, loss, and resilience. You can feel the weight of each emotion, yet every page offers a glimmer of strength — a reminder that healing, no matter how slow, is still movement.

This is not just poetry; it’s survival written in verse. It teaches you that pain can transform, that silence can roar, and that even the softest voice can lead a revolution within.

A book for anyone who’s ever been broken and dared to piece themselves back together. 💔🌷

[Uzma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Henana Berjes doesn’t simply write poems—she writes resurrections. War Cry is a journey through midnight rooms, bruised memories, and the stubborn hope that rises even in darkness. Her words ache, they flare, they bloom.

This book reminds you that pain can be a map, that survival is its own kind of prayer, and that even shattered hearts can grow gardens. A soul-deep collection that lingers long after the last page.

[Kayla Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling collection of short poems that samples a range of emotions varying from loss to hope to sorrow.

My favorite pieces focused on the theme of the woman as a machine because sometimes, the bad days can be draining and really make you feel like you're running on autopilot to make it through it all.