Whiskey Words & a Shovel II

by R.H. Sin, Reuben Holmes

Real and raw, the voice of R. H. Sin delivers gritty, impassioned truths on matters of loving, living, and leaving in his second book of poetry.  Sin's first book is a bestseller and continues to delight his one million followers.

R.H. Sin’s second volume continues the passion and vigor of his previous publication. His stanzas inspire strength through the pure emotional energy and the vulnerability of his poems. Relationships, love, pain, and fortitude are powerfully rendered in his poetry, and his message of perseverance in the face of emotional turmoil cuts to the heart of modern-day life.

R.H. Sin’s poems are often only a few lines long, and yet the emotional punch of his language gives these words an enduring power beyond the short page. He doesn't back away from the pains and struggles of life and love, and yet his determined, unapologetic voice provides a measure of comfort and a message of perseverance that is at once realistic and indomitable. This blend of determination and painful vulnerability gives his poetry a distinctive, engaging flavor.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Poetry Plays

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

This poetry collection, which I was SO excited for, was way over-hyped. I found it to have the following things, and more, that really irked me to the point of no return: preach-y to women (when the author is a man), likes to romanticize depression and the aftermath of abusive relationships, compares a woman's sex to a winter jacket, continously says he's a better man than any other man the women he's speaking to has been with, and is filled to the brim with over-used themes and contantly eye-rolling cliches.

OH and out of the 150+ poems in here? I only liked 5 or 6 of them. OUT OF OVER 150 poems. Man. I definitely don't think I'll be reading any more of this author's work, which makes me upset because I was looking forward to enjoying his work. Alas, no cigar. Hopefully I'll be diving into some better poetry soon.

Alright, that's enough griping of this book. I think I'm just going to leave this review at that.

[Anna Petruk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isn't this cover absolutely beautiful?

Well, I thought so. So I ordered this book knowing absolutely nothing about it or the author. And while waiting for it to arrive, I painted a little fan art with watercolors:



Now to the actual book. It's pretty small, and most poems are tiny, consisting of just a couple of lines. It's very easy to read in one sitting in under an hour. The general themes are unrequited love, heartbreak, search and hope for a new romantic relationship.

diving into love
emerging within each other

Some of the poems were poignant, beautiful, moving because of their aching honesty and truth. But not many were like this.

The others were either stuffily preachy or bitter and angry. Most, I'd say, fell into these two categories. And that's where I failed to see beauty or truth. And that's why I wouldn't generally recommend this poetry collection, nor do I plan to read this author again.

To illustrate my point.

hell on earth will always be
trying to maintain a relationship
with someone who is too weak
to remain loyal to the idea of a
forever with you

That's the entire poem by the way. Which takes up a whole page of the book. And then another one:

their inability to remain faithful
to your loyalty
is a reflection of their own
emotional handicap
(...)
start preserving your energy
for someone who is strong
enough to reciprocate the love
within your heart

Okay. So you fell in love with someone. They didn't reciprocate. They don't want a forever with you. They don't even want a finite time with you. That sucks. That hurts. I totally get it. I've been there. BUT! That doesn't mean that person is emotionally handicapped, or weak, or even generally disloyal. They just aren't interested in being loyal to you. DEAL WITH IT!

I was actually exasperated to read this. So if someone loves you back, that automatically makes them strong, and if they don't, that automatically makes them emotionally handicapped? WTF! Get over yourself! The world does not exist for the sole purpose of adoring you!

they only treat you
how they feel
about themselves

That's another poem in its entirety. And no, people don't treat you how they feel about themselves. They treat you how they feel about you. If someone had the misfortune of becoming the object of your love, they are obligated to love you back or they are an asshole? That's emotional blackmail! And there is a loooooot of that in this poetry collection.



instead of teaching women how to keep a man
let's encourage them to be the
greatest thing to and for themselves
a woman's value is not
validated by her ability to attract and or keep a man

Another poem in its entirety. First off, it doesn't express or strike up any emotion (in me). It's not beautifully written either. How is this even a poem? Secondly, it's the most obvious and banal thing to say. It's something I've heard and read a thousand times before. Like, are there actual people who would argue with this statement anymore? Also, who goes around teaching women how to keep a man? Does that actually happen to people? There are a lot of poems like this one in the book.

So with all the judgmental bitterness and bitchiness and preachiness I didn't love the contents of Whiskey Words & a Shovel II as much as I instantly loved the cover art. Pity. It would have been so easy to win me over.

[dina · Rating 1 out of 5]

different, yet the same.
different person
same pain
different person
same lies
I hate the moments between
meeting someone and leaving
someone
there’s this brief feeling of trust
before the paranoia that seeps in
once you begin to realize that
they’re just like everyone else
you’ve met before
different person
same bullshit

No offense, God please forgive me for saying this, but how is that a poem and how am I supposed to fall for it?

I have not reached halfway through this book when I'm making this review. Call me judgemental, but I believe we can easily create the same exact writing for each poems in this book faster than I could say, "What?????"

I'm sorry but the contents are just not for me as there's nothing new about them. And it is indeed so true what Emily May said that hitting enter per words does not make it a poem.

You know what the real poem is?

Once, dusty debris of a forsaken star
hushed at the beaming Moon,
"Don't ever fall for the glorious Sun,
with her blinding storm heat
Lustrous with a touch of blue luminescent fluorace
Illuminating the unabridged earth
Radiating perpetuity
never ending
forevermore
never more!"

"But isn't the complexion of the Moon
is to descend and succumb
to the ardor of amorous Sun?"

For the meek, plebeian, melancholy Moon
The Sun was her first savor of mad craving
Her only spring of searing gleam

Velvet compliments of, "You look breathtaking wearing my gown of dazzling flare."
Subtle murmurs of, "Accompany me through the dark vast of whirling cosmos."
Sweet mumbles of, "Such a pretty figure, burning white from clandestine of the night."

Satiny kisses playing around on the edges of transparent halo
Numinous touch cascading along the stream of alabaster backside
Alas, it always ends with the ardent Sun set off, swallowed by the matters.

No matter how many;
the Moon recites boundless ballads and hundreds heavy-heart poetry for the Sun
the Moon serenades limitless celestial bodies and scalding fallen stars
the Moon flirts with alluring secondary planets and vibrant playful sphere

Still,
the Sun,
is the center, the pivot, the concentration
of the whole universe— for the Moon.

The pale Moon, ever so confident
Entrust her luminosity of a foreign feeling
The fiendish Sun, ever so patronizing
Amuse herself with the fast falling of the moon

Collapse rapidly,
Perishing every single day,
just to glow the next waning night,
for the smoldering Sun.

— The Moon, still falling and rising helplessly for the radiant Sun

I don't even know who is the creator of the poetry above is as I found it on Official Account page that weekly holds Poems Night every saturday night.

[Ece · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it when men thinks only men's approval and attention can make the women feel worthy. Misogynist as fuck. Same old bullshit.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps R.H Sin does boast a fearless and vulnerable voice, but this remains one of the most appalingly tasteless volumes I've ever read. What we have here is a bombardment of obsessive love letters and cringe-worthy rants , most no more than a sentence or two of free verse.

Page after page demands the reader to
"find a man who loves you with all the love you deserve."
A poem simply titled "Sent text" reads:
"Be consistent, or become non existent."

R.H. Sin deserves better than you, and won't rest until he finds
"A love rich and organic, homegrown from seeds in my own soul;
I want love that's straight like my favorite liquor."

There are bits and pieces of feminist insight here, albeit always offered through a cynical male perspective. In actuality, this book does a lot to push problematic gender norms . The narrator often paints himself as some what of a savior, lingering in the magazine aisle of grocery stores, trying to rescue women from their addiction to fashion magazines.


All-out filthy, degrading, weird to Ted-Bundy-esque extremes. Completely void of intellect or quality control, but sure to be a favorite among a certain type of reader. Two thumbs down.

[Vera Minot · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously do not understand the hype. Maybe this just isn't the type of poetry for me, but it felt like the ramblings of 15 year old me. Only if I went back and read my insufferable journals from over a decade ago I know they'd move me more than these works did (and I am a poetry reader not a poetry writer so that should say something).

It was the same few topics ("teach women to love themselves" check, got it) and the same blasé vocabulary the whole time (shatter, broken, beautiful). There are so much more interesting topics to write about than those which were explored in this book! My inner voice actually read the poems in a whiney emo voice and I couldn't take any of them seriously. The couple poems that *were* good felt like they were accidentally good despite the author's best efforts.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this collection of poems felt like home. I am so glad I randomly stumbled upon this one.

Very simple, incredibly beautiful and truly powerful read.

[Glitterbomb · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is misogynistic, egotistical bullshit, that made me angry to be perfectly honest.

I'm done with this author.

This isn't poetry, its recycled, repetitive, and uninspired drivel.

[Thuhufa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cannot believe I managed to finish that...what was that?? It tried so hard to be "deep" but was sooo repetitive and patronising. Didn't actually make any sense half the time, but all the while it was trying to tell women what they should learn/be taught to do this and that/how grateful they should be/basically how they should just do whatever the author wants them to do but always "love themselves". Struggled so hard to get through it, hoping I'd find poetry somewhere, but there was literally NONE. Never given such a harsh review but this was just unbearable.

[Sharm ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than some of the poetry I’ve read before, some of the passages were fire tho ngl 👍🏽

[emerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

“you kill your future by mourning the past”

[Bear Mcbearington · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this on the high recommendations on this site. But god damn this reads like an edgy sixteen year old who just went through a break up. I'm half convinced the author is actually some kind of twitter bot that just shits out random combinations of crap you'd find in a diary of a teenager. And anyone who enjoys it is either a teen or too stupid to realise how utter shit (and often patronizing) all this is.

I'd give it a 0 if I could.
The thought that someone actually got book deals and paid money for this shit while actual good poets got rejected is just rage inducing.

Fuck.

[Hirdesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Julia Sapphire · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 out of 5 stars

"sometimes you have to drown
to learn how to swim"

This collection of poetry was BEAUTIFUL! It was almost everything I could have asked for in poetry. It was mesmerizing and relatable .

I had not previously read the first installment but reading this one alone, I had no complications. My only issue was with the narration. This voice coming across was very soft and loving and than on the next page mean and stern. I understand mood swings and how Sin was expressing the emotions of this collection but at times I found it very jumpy.

I read this very quickly and it was such a delight to read. It was dark and powerful and I would definitely suggest it!

"these scars
remind me that I survived
everything meant to
destroy me"

[Pam Z (Pam's Shenanigans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came upon this book while I was browsing for new poetry books at Netgalley. I love poetry so much and I'm the type to immerse myself in poems of all sorts.

Sin's poetry is simple yet deep and also straight to the point. It hits the bullseye of feels. No matter what situation you are in, you are sure to find one that is applicable to you in Whiskey Words & a Shovel. I've read a poem about going through and past distance just to get to the one you love.

long distance.
I'd kill the distance
to get to you

It sounds very simple, I know. Yet, it is something that I'm battling right now, long distance relationship. I was actually on the verge of tears as I read this poem late last night, missing my significant other from 8,000 miles away. Sin's poems aren't entirely about romantic love alone. It also promotes self-love, something that I need to learn. But, I'm giving this only 3 stars because I think I was looking for something light and more inspiring. Some of the poems tend to be repetitive of their subject, I think. I still like it nonetheless. :)

One of my favorites:

reality.
you're unhappy
you've been feeling neglected
you've been taken for granted
and yet you still find ways and
or create several excuses as to why
you stay
in reality
you've been holding on
to nothing
so if in this moment
you decided to walk away
you'd lose them
and at the same time
you'd lose nothing
you'd gain peace
you'd lose them
yet find yourself

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't particularly love this poetry collection: it felt too focused of breakups, and it was full negativity. The themes were a bit repetitive: it almost seemed like I was reading the same poem over and over. I found few pages that I liked, but I would honestly recommend other poetry collections instead, like Mouthful of Forevers or milk and honey.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

So repetitive, so patronizing, so shallow in its attempts to be #deep, do not understand the hype. Hitting the enter key a million times does not a poem make. The few poems that I actually enjoyed seemed like they were accidentally interesting and not any reflection of the poet's talent. Skip these, I definitely will not be reading any more of them.

[Hemlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much melodramatic, pseudo-deep doggerel in one tiny book. The poet is capable of so much more, I feel.

[Rayene Ziadi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a tremendous disappointment.
it felt like a string of badly woven clichés and you could just taste the author's desperation and eagerness to be relatable.

“you kill your future by mourning the past”

It was anything but unique, the majority of poems felt like fillers to get to a certain word count.

[Brittni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete and utter trash.
These are re-writes if the first book. Still not actual poetry. And the chutzpah it took to publish about how women should be empowered to choose non-shit men, instead of writing to men about how to not be trash...
Don’t waste your time on this. What a load of BS.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate this one after reading this at the beginning of this book:
'stop teaching women how to
think like men, we rarely think'

The writing has gone a bit overboard here, don't you think?

Encouraging women is one thing. But saying guys rarely think?
What's your point?

Buttering won't work.
Demeaning the other sex won't work.

Some parts I loved:

'' she’s an angel
with a filthy mind ''

'and you were a nightmare
wrapped in something beautiful
a disaster presented as a gift'

(Taylor Swift vibes, anyone?!😉)

*Here comes the moment I found the book funny:

'your heart is fractured but it’s
still valuable'

Like 'fractured'?! Really?! Heart fractured?!
This brings out the passive agressive nature in me. Like seriously 🤯😵

*And the gory part....

'your past lingered
like a rope around your neck
and so I kicked over the chair
beneath your feet'

This is plain gruesome 🙁

*For the reader part he wrote:
and there she was
lying there alone
eyes fixated on this page
this book
these words
her emotional mind state
unknown
but I knew
and I wrote this for her
I wrote this for you
you’re going to be fine'

I cannot find the connection here, sorry.

*I find this .... :

'dear woman, thank you
thank you for being brave
enough to love
thank you for being brave
enough to try once more
even when that love goes
unnoticed
thank you for smiling through
the pain
thank you for the strength
that you’ve displayed
may your will to survive be the
inspiration for this piece
in this moment
you are my muse
thank you'

..... awkward.

I need a break from all this encouragement. To actually know all guys are not jerks. And not every women need not be motivated every second. She needs her caffiene and read and watch silly movies and stuff and cry her eyes out and snore away her problems.

It is fun to read his books!
Binge reading an author does this to you.
Beware.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Sigh* Unoriginal and very cliche. The only poem I liked in this collection was " your past lingered/ like a rope around your neck/ and so I kicked over the chair/ beneath your feet" because it was the only one that wasn't an overdone platitude about a) loving yourself b) loving someone else or c) trying to get over a breakup.
Luckily it was a fast read. I would recommend this to people who just broke up with someone and need lots of reassurance. If you haven't, this is not the book for you.

[Pouria · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Score from 5: 3
It’s pretty much like the first book in both content and potency of poets. Most of them were repetitive especially for a person who has read the first book. However, like the first book, it consisted of some valuable poems about self-love and knowing your value and various relationship related stuff which people like and need to read sometimes. The rest of the poems are mostly superficial and insignificant.

[jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant piece of poetry.

This book speaks about feminism, self-love and boy-girl relationship. They are all really short and straight to the point , which I loved . It definitely gives those Tumblr-feel vibes and doesn't flow likes standard poetry , but I do not mind at all. I am overwhelmed with feels throughout the book.

Overall: 4 stars

[Paras2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came to this book with high expectations since I've been reading parts of it on every page in instagram... but well, I'm disappointed. once again social media proved to be crap and the voice of the mass.
I don't deny I bookmarked some poems but generally I was rolling my eyes at the cheesy encouragements and promises of tomorrow. 😌

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so glad to finally know the essence of womanhood.
I’ve been waiting on the secret sauce.

*eye twitch intensifies*

[shanghao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Browsed through this at the bookstore again to give the poet the benefit of the doubt, a second viewing if you will.

Alas, I'm just not a fan of the style of poetry here. And the typology used didn't add further character to the structurally arranged sentences. The words were arranged with intent, but they do not come off as art, at least to me.

The only obvious improvement here is that the price of this volume is 'only' 32SGD as opposed to the 56SGD of the first volume (which comes with a 20% discount now).

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. This g*****n book. SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT, I CANNOT.

This is one of those poetry books that will hit you straight in the heart, talking about self-love and acceptance and moving forward and finding your own peace and place in thr world. I salute the poet for being effective in all of his words and making me feel like I deserve books like this and that the reading experience will be impactful and life-changing.

I highly recommend you guys read this one.

"Respect her mind
Feed her soul
Protect her peace
Guard her heart"

[ink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guarantees.

being a good man or woman
doesn't guarantee you true love
loving someone
doesn't make them the one

Whiskey Words and a Shovel II. This book talked about heartbreak and rejection and love in all its ugly forms. I couldn't find myself relating to this book very often, and I found that the content was very repetitive. All in all, I enjoyed reading it. I had some favorites, so if you're planning to read it, make sure you check out Most Nights and Fantasies.

[Yoana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Без съмнение най-добрата поезия, която съм чела <3