Wounds: Volume 1

by Renee Ruin

WOUNDS Volume 1

Original writing, musings and prose by Renee Ruin

Cover features original artwork by Heather Gabel

"Renee Ruin observes the bad and the beautiful in 'Wounds: Volume One' a collection of evocative and eloquent poetry that will haunt you until you pick it up again."

"Each poem of Wounds remains untitled, unnamed, but belonging, mirroring each colliding content of Wounds somber tones. Renee traps words in sweethearts, every word of the second poem in this persistent, penetrating voice that watches 'every street on your way home' and steals glances in your car window. A sign off 'Take care, sweetheart. Play fair, sweetheart.' called me back time and time again, 'Living different lives in empty beds.' resonating obsession to strength."

32 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2013

About the author

Sour cherry, anti-social socialite, blogger, writer, poet, author, recluse, chronic over-sleeper, feminist, horror/sci-fi fan, neurotic and hapless hopeless romantic.

Reviews

[Raven Schlossberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastically moving and brutally honest book. It was both heartbreaking and comforting. I would happily read anything this passionate and eloquent writer wrote.

[Sarah Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about Wounds is so profoundly personal, you can feel the blood drip from the pages. Writing it, and publishing it, was an act of sacrifice. What separates Wounds from any other poetry anthology is the fierce resistance of the tone and the blistering pain that jump at you from the pages, seeking an echo, launching into your heart and soul to find a kindred spirit. Wounds is the courage we never thought we had, to explore such raw emotions and expose them bare. It's no longer fearing fear itself. It's building strength on failure. It's building confidence on missed opportunities. The first read-through is difficult: it makes you look at who you were three, five, ten years ago, or even just yesterday, realising you are a full-fleshed human with its own set of shortcomings, its own experience of unrequited love and abandon. The second read-through is allowing you to be that person, is helping you go through catharsis. Keeping it on your shelf and revisiting it whenever you can or feel you need to is carrying you on through the long summers, hiding from sunshine and hoping for the rain; cradling you through dark winters, smiling at the snow and finding comfort in a timid sun. Wounds is making you embrace this side of you many say isn't positive enough to appreciate, isn't sunny enough a demeanour to guarantee you popularity, isn't lightweight enough to be successful. Wounds is a painful experience of what it means to experience everything across the spectrum, and not be afraid of anything anymore.

Renee Ruin has taught me to be stronger by myself and for myself. I can't wait for the second volume of the anthology, in which I will find myself struggling with a new set of demons spawned from the old, yet never stopping to fight for what I think I deserve.