The No You Never Listened To

by Meggie C. Royer

“It’s a strange thing when the highest praise you can offer for someone’s work is, “I wish this didn’t exist,” but that was the refrain that echoed in my head after I read Meggie Royer’s third book.

As fans of her work know, Meggie takes the universal and makes it personal. With The No You Never Listened To, she takes the personal and makes it universal. As a sexual assault survivor, Meggie is well-acquainted with trauma: the aftermath, the guilt, the anger. She has never shied away from taking Hemingway’s advice – write hard and clear about what hurts – and that strength has never been more of an asset than with this body of work.

The No You Never Listened To is the book you will wish you’d had when trauma climbed into your bed. It is the book you will give to friends who are dragged from their “before” into a dark and terrifying “after”. And yes, it is the book you will wish didn’t exist.

But it is also the one that will remind you, in your darkest moments, where the blame really belongs. It will remind you that your memory will not always be an enemy. And it will remind you that none of us have ever been alone in this.”

– Claire Biggs
To Write Love on Her Arms Editor / Writer

Genres: Poetry, Feminism, Nonfiction

142 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2015

About the author

Meggie Royer is a Midwestern writer, domestic violence advocate, and the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Persephone’s Daughters, a literary and arts journal for abuse survivors. She has won numerous awards for her work and has been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize. She thinks there is nothing better in this world than a finished poem.

Royer is the author of the viral 2015 poem, "The Morning After I Killed Myself," which has since been shared nearly 7 million times and has been the inspiration for hundreds of additional poems, short films, and art projects by other artists.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written poems about the aftermath of rape. A perfect blend of brutality with beauty, these poems span the recovery period, from aftermath to forgiveness. I couldn't tell you which poems were my favorites because they all together told a story that was difficult, yet captivating. This is a really important collection for everyone to read, not just rape survivors or women, but men, too. I cannot recommend this collection more highly and urge you to pick it up if you can stomach the topic. The poems themselves weren't too graphic for me, and I'm squeamish about this subject. As always, though, know yourself and your limits.

[Liz Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was read for the #readwomen month.
Do you like milk and honey by Rupi Kaur? Then this book is definitely for you. This is a book we wish existed and didn't at the same time, because of how true it seems, and as humans we try to run as far away from the truth as we can get. It is a collection that will teach the reader about the aftermath of sexual assault, while empowering those that have gone through the same, and hopefully, bring people together to fight sexual assault. Trigger Warnings!!!

[Ashley Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars.

I honestly doubt I will be able to come up with the right words to convey how much this book meant to me. I want more people to read it. If you are one of those people who was astounded by “Milk and Honey” and wants more of that kind of poetry, GET THIS BOOK. Truly, I rated Milk and Honey 5 stars, and this one was even better than that in my opinion.

I feel like Meggie Royer wrote about my experiences, not hers. Like she knew what was in my heart and the thoughts that I have had, and made these incredible poems out of them. They are visceral and emotional and full and heavy. I was dumbfounded after reading so many of these poems. Being a survivor myself, I thought that reading this book might be a bad idea. I was worried that it would trigger those bad times & memories, and be unhealthy for me. But that’s not what happened. First of all it was sort of cathartic. Secondly, it was encouraging in a way. Because it made me feel less alone. I felt solidarity, sympathy, and support. And that was definitely a good feeling. So although I cried during my read of this, and for a while afterwards too, it was a good kind of cry.

I just am so happy this book exists, and that I was made aware of it and read it. Meggie’s poems do not hold back. They are full of realistic imagery and metaphors that pack a punch. It’s sad that there are so many women out there who go through these experiences, have these thoughts, and then - because of the actions/choices of a vicious person - often times end up hurting themselves.

All in all it is just such a brave and impressive collection of poems. I wish I could say more about it, but I just don’t have enough words to do it. Please read this. I love it so much. I will be doing a video review of this as well in the coming days.

[Tim]

I did not give a rating, because I found it hard to rate a book that is not really about the poetry itself - it's about more than that. It's about personal experience, and about helping others process traumatic experiences. Simply for that reason alone, this is a great and important book.

[Acacia Ives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest bold and above all else beautiful. This collection takes you through one woman's life after a rape. You must understand as someone who has been through this it was hard to handle I cried several time and the moments I saw myself in the poem were near impossible. I finished it with the help of Amanda and listening to her read it. Be aware this is not for someone who is in the middle of the trauma. Give your self room to heal and find your way before reliving that. If you want more understanding for a loved one who's been sexually violated this is wonderful but hard hitting. Be safe and know it's ok to stop and put this down.

[Ris Schortinghuis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I applaud the message of the poet and feel for her pain, I did not enjoy this collection personally. I hope others find it comforting, but I didn't like the style and the language so I couldn't find it myself.

[Basmaish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Royer's poetry is too wordy and would benefit from more editing. Her metaphors tend to get repetitive and while she has some good ones, others are cliche.

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No one ever teaches you how to fall out of love with your rapist."

This book is precious. Normally I read a collection of poetry in one sitting, or a few days, but this was too heavy to read quickly. I had to take a few breaks in between because I was consistently triggered by the content.
Which isn't a bad thing. After being sexually assaulted I desperately wanted a collection of poetry from someone who can put all the guilt, shame, love, and confusion into words. Meggie Royer has an incredible talent of doing just that.
This is one of those collections I think I will read many times over. The poems all are stunningly beautiful and intense, I feel that I could continually find new things to learn from them.
Claire Biggs said "I wish this book didn't exist" and I agree with her. I wish that none of it had to be said, that no one needed to read it for the solace, comfort, emotions it brings....but I'm also extremely grateful that this book is here to help me, along with so many other survivors, through their times of healing.

I don't know if this is a book for everyone. And by that I mean, if I had not been through a situation similar, the poems wouldn't mean as much. They're clearly beautiful and well done, but without empathy that don't make as hard of an impact. Despite that critique, I encourage everyone to read this. If you have a trauma you are holding onto, know someone who's been through this, or neither. If you just want beautiful prose. This is worth reading no matter what.

my favorite poems:
Blueprints for Mapping Out a Sad Body
When Your Friends Ask About...
Poltergeist
When He Asked if I Would Write About it
"Not all Men"
The Poet Destroys her Apartment in a Fit of Rage
Annie Oakley
Persephone
Just Another Love Poem. Until the First Line.
Mammoth
The Evolution of Eve
The Survivors Manifesto
Instructions for Discovering if Forgiveness is Right for You
Emily Dickinson
To Women Who are Afraid of Their Boyfriends

(or basically all of the poems)

[Ashley (pagesofhorror) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not going to be able to write a real review for this. I just can't put my feelings of this book into words. This book is stunning and painful and gorgeous and ugly and real. And I recommend this book with the highest honor there is. Read this. Just everyone read it. O felt like I was reading what is in my own mind and soul. Truly incredible. Such a small book yet nearly every page is marked somehow.

[Weasel Weasel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meggie Royer is back with another astounding collection of poetry. The No You Never Listened To was recently released through Words Dance Publishing, and it is her best work yet. Royer has a way of really twisting the reader’s emotions through her words. There is not a moment in this collection that does not get to you in some way.

The No You Never Listened To is a journey. It’s an essential journey; a journey of healing and understanding. It’s a collection I feel is one of the most important collections the literary world has to date. Royer’s intense style grabs us through the pages and educates us on the trauma of sexual assault and the culture of victim blaming. She does not hold back, as well she shouldn’t hold back. She is brutal. She is honest. Her words are a great comfort to many people out there.

This collection is really commendable, and I’m happy to have this on my bookshelf. You can find out more about this author at their blog Writings for Winter. The collection can be found on Amazon, as well as through the publisher, Words Dance Publishing. Meggie is definitely a hard working individual and her latest book is well worth the money.

[Barton Smock · Rating 4 out of 5]

enter the museum. eye the guide and ignore the exhibits. ignore the exhibits until they are destroyed. don’t nudge your friend. give your friend to the guide. leave. get something to eat. know to refer to the act of doing so as performance eating. here on out, enter anything as you would a museum. enter friendless.

[Em (Verity Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meggie Royer and her writing are gifts to humanity

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This broke me a little (in a good way.)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

review later

[Brynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it happened to you, every word speaks an ocean. Read this slowly, with time, and listen to yourself.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third of Royer's poetry books I've read and this one falls short. The organization is interesting, as the poems are related to sexual assault and abuse, and about the process one goes through, the emotions they feel, when they are trying to cover. It's an important topic that can't be ignored, and many of her poems and prose create a powerful stance on the subject--an alliance with the overlooked stories and victims. Regardless, I had a hard time overlooking some of the repetitions I've seen across poems, and even across books. It's one thing to have a style, and another to reuse imagery. The topic is so, so incredibly important, and the themes of the poems do that justice--but the writing falls short with this one.

[pi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read <3

[Ebtisam · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think i wanna read lol