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Afterlife
Afterlife is a collection of poetry about catharsis, self-love, and self-revolution. Afterlife is a journey from the darkness to the light again, and again, and again.
This poetry collection discusses depression, anxiety, trauma flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, death, self-harm, suicidal ideations, strong language.
Please practice self-care while reading this poetry collection.
Please see appendix at the end of the collection for detailed page number content warnings.
Also available for download on Payhip: https://payhip.com/b/hYbl
This poetry collection discusses depression, anxiety, trauma flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, death, self-harm, suicidal ideations, strong language.
Please practice self-care while reading this poetry collection.
Please see appendix at the end of the collection for detailed page number content warnings.
Also available for download on Payhip: https://payhip.com/b/hYbl
- GenresPoetryMental Health
110 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2017
12 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 30, 2020
First off, I would like to thank Melissa for writing this collection of poems. There are trigger warnings for self-harm, mental health (depression) and self-doubt. If you do write a review for Afterlife, please use They/Them on request from the author.
They write with emotion and don't hold back from the honest truth about feelings and craving for acceptance and longing. It was a quick read, but good at getting to the point. I hope to read their other collection which is also on KU soon!
They write with emotion and don't hold back from the honest truth about feelings and craving for acceptance and longing. It was a quick read, but good at getting to the point. I hope to read their other collection which is also on KU soon!
October 7, 2017
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I decided to read this, but I'm impressed. The poems really flow together so smoothly that I enjoyed reading them even if I didn’t relate to it as much or even feel it sit with me like I would have wanted, but I liked this very much. My #1 favorite poem is this:
MY HEART IS A REALM
Don't fuck with a goddess;
I'll be the reason
You can't find solace.
I praise this one! When I read it, I was like YAS! Queen! But, I have other ones bookmarked that I really liked. Overall, this is definitely a poetry book that needs to be read.
MY HEART IS A REALM
Don't fuck with a goddess;
I'll be the reason
You can't find solace.
I praise this one! When I read it, I was like YAS! Queen! But, I have other ones bookmarked that I really liked. Overall, this is definitely a poetry book that needs to be read.
January 18, 2018
This was wonderful. Full review to come soon.
October 29, 2017
“do not love these gardens,
if you despise the dirt”.
if you despise the dirt”.
December 31, 2021
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Afterlife, in Melissa's own words, is "about catharsis, self-love, and self-revolution" & "a journey from the darkness to the light again, and again, and again." That's pretty much as spot on a description as you will ever get from a poet. This collection offers exactly what they promise and that's great.
Afterlife is very relatable in terms of emotions & life events it touches on. I don't think there's a single person who, upon reading those poems, would not find in them some feeling they long tried to express themselves. That's also the beauty of poetry in general, isn't it? The universality of it. I love when just a verse or two make me realise that, no, I am not in fact alone in feeling this particular way! Others felt it too and they endured and they survived and they outgrew it.
That's the main strength of Afterlife. It takes you on a journey, a long and difficult one, but at the same time - one that ends in sunlight. It tells you that no matter what you're going through right now, there's hope. There is always hope. And things will get better. And you're definitely not alone in feeling the way you do.
The poems are pretty straight-forward, most of them also rather short. It's not the kind of poetry that leaves you confused & dreaming of not even looking at a poetry book again in your whole entire life. The metaphors are easy to understand, even for people who don't read much poetry, and there aren't any bewildering experiments with form either. All this makes Afterlife even more relatable.
I would recommend this collection to people who are feeling a little bit lost or can only see the dark clouds in their lives. I think it would be also enjoyed by people who only now want to start their adventure with poetry.
Afterlife, in Melissa's own words, is "about catharsis, self-love, and self-revolution" & "a journey from the darkness to the light again, and again, and again." That's pretty much as spot on a description as you will ever get from a poet. This collection offers exactly what they promise and that's great.
Afterlife is very relatable in terms of emotions & life events it touches on. I don't think there's a single person who, upon reading those poems, would not find in them some feeling they long tried to express themselves. That's also the beauty of poetry in general, isn't it? The universality of it. I love when just a verse or two make me realise that, no, I am not in fact alone in feeling this particular way! Others felt it too and they endured and they survived and they outgrew it.
That's the main strength of Afterlife. It takes you on a journey, a long and difficult one, but at the same time - one that ends in sunlight. It tells you that no matter what you're going through right now, there's hope. There is always hope. And things will get better. And you're definitely not alone in feeling the way you do.
The poems are pretty straight-forward, most of them also rather short. It's not the kind of poetry that leaves you confused & dreaming of not even looking at a poetry book again in your whole entire life. The metaphors are easy to understand, even for people who don't read much poetry, and there aren't any bewildering experiments with form either. All this makes Afterlife even more relatable.
I would recommend this collection to people who are feeling a little bit lost or can only see the dark clouds in their lives. I think it would be also enjoyed by people who only now want to start their adventure with poetry.
October 14, 2017
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
"This is a reminder.
During life, there is pain.
After pain, there is life.
Know this and live."
This was such a lovely poetry collection to read! After reading the above quote, I knew that I would enjoy 'Afterlife'.
While I admit, some of the poems were definitely stronger than others, I loved the reminiscent tone of each poem and how they all fit together to tell a story of heartbreak and loss, so beautifully. The writer really has a way with words - their metaphors, in particular, are incredibly well-crafted.
I wish I could write out each poem that I liked in particular, but that would probably equate to half the book. Instead, I'll just post a few that stood out to me:
"Guilt is a gravity
that keeps us moving[...]"
"Our souls are different languages,
one cannot exist without the other [...]"
"Why do we ache?
Because we feel the rain,
instead of seeing the sky change."
I would definitely recommend this to everyone who is interested in poetry!
"This is a reminder.
During life, there is pain.
After pain, there is life.
Know this and live."
This was such a lovely poetry collection to read! After reading the above quote, I knew that I would enjoy 'Afterlife'.
While I admit, some of the poems were definitely stronger than others, I loved the reminiscent tone of each poem and how they all fit together to tell a story of heartbreak and loss, so beautifully. The writer really has a way with words - their metaphors, in particular, are incredibly well-crafted.
I wish I could write out each poem that I liked in particular, but that would probably equate to half the book. Instead, I'll just post a few that stood out to me:
"Guilt is a gravity
that keeps us moving[...]"
"Our souls are different languages,
one cannot exist without the other [...]"
"Why do we ache?
Because we feel the rain,
instead of seeing the sky change."
I would definitely recommend this to everyone who is interested in poetry!
June 7, 2017
I am not sure where to even start in the powerful feeling that is taking over me. I'm emotional from these words! This book took me to a different place in poetry. Now i love poetry and write myself - but this right here has so much depth. Melissa's words will leave you questioning and wondering .. After almost every piece I sat back and pondered and felt the hurt , the healing and the reality. I have so many favorites amongst this collection and would recommend this for sure !! The last page that explained the meaning behind her writing, made me feel like i have known her for so long. I wish you nothing but the best in your writing journey and cant WAIT to read more!!
November 29, 2017
It's not often I get to read someone's thoughts written down in raw free form and wonder where is the hope and light in this? And when I find something light after reading something foreboding, only to read a few more darkness, I think...when will this dark and light cycle end?
For others, it's an endless loop. Some of us, find an opening and others either, live in denial of this or oblivious to its existence.
For this particular collection, I am amazed that in this loop, the author found a rope to pull themselves out to freedom. This was quite a read. This was a lot to take on and I'm amazed that Melissa was able to take all this emptiness, all this emotion and purge it out this collection. Bravo.
*** I'm excited to read more from this author. I think it's brilliant and they need to bump up their release date for their second collection, in my opinion.***
For others, it's an endless loop. Some of us, find an opening and others either, live in denial of this or oblivious to its existence.
For this particular collection, I am amazed that in this loop, the author found a rope to pull themselves out to freedom. This was quite a read. This was a lot to take on and I'm amazed that Melissa was able to take all this emptiness, all this emotion and purge it out this collection. Bravo.
*** I'm excited to read more from this author. I think it's brilliant and they need to bump up their release date for their second collection, in my opinion.***
May 30, 2017
This book is magic! I relate to it so much and it makes poems out of a lot of my favorite things: space, greek mythology, creepiness, and honey metaphors. Read this book, you will not regret it!
March 3, 2018
Much needed!
Apparently I had started reading this last year but I never finished it? Which seems ridiculous now,, seeing how much I enjoyed it.
Apparently I had started reading this last year but I never finished it? Which seems ridiculous now,, seeing how much I enjoyed it.
January 25, 2019
3.5 Stars
January 12, 2018
This chapbook is a small collection of poems about love, and finding it after a time of darkness; self-love after a period of abuse. One line that summarizes this message is “Sometimes/ We must fight/ The darkness/To understand/ The light” (page 4, location 49).
I love modern poetry. Poetry is poetry, whether it’s a centuries-old sestina or free-verse from Tumblr. Jennings’ form is of the latter, while their command of the language is as poetic as the former. My favorite lines include:
“My sadness is politics…” (page 12, location 115)
“Do not love these gardens,/ If you despise the dirt” (page 25, location 213)
“Crystallising my storms…” (page 35, location 257)
“Poetry tells me:/ There are different kinds of light” (page 104, location 719)
However, my own taste for modern poetry is picky. While I love and support modern poetry, it needs to have that balance between raw emotion and new-ness – I am not a fan of clichés or obvious statements. This chapbook only has one instance of the latter, when the poem on page 73 and location 469 states “I am feeling a lot right now.” Within the context of the poem, this line makes sense; on its own, the statement is the sole reason poets write poems – because poets feel a lot.
I felt like I could interact with their poems – in one instance, a poem (page 68, location 433) gave a question: “40 years ignoring yourself. How many minutes is that?” I got curious and brought out my calculator and responded with 21,024,000. Twenty-one million and twenty-four thousand minutes. This exchange made me feel like I was part of the poem, piecing together a puzzle alongside the author.
Occasional poems contain the use of braces – those {squiggly brackets} which, when the words in the braces came together, created a poem within the poem. I absolutely loved this! One such example is: “I cannot tell {if I am}/{Delirious} or drunk. I cannot tell if {you are}/ Medicine or {poison}” (page 77, location 491).
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry.
I love modern poetry. Poetry is poetry, whether it’s a centuries-old sestina or free-verse from Tumblr. Jennings’ form is of the latter, while their command of the language is as poetic as the former. My favorite lines include:
“My sadness is politics…” (page 12, location 115)
“Do not love these gardens,/ If you despise the dirt” (page 25, location 213)
“Crystallising my storms…” (page 35, location 257)
“Poetry tells me:/ There are different kinds of light” (page 104, location 719)
However, my own taste for modern poetry is picky. While I love and support modern poetry, it needs to have that balance between raw emotion and new-ness – I am not a fan of clichés or obvious statements. This chapbook only has one instance of the latter, when the poem on page 73 and location 469 states “I am feeling a lot right now.” Within the context of the poem, this line makes sense; on its own, the statement is the sole reason poets write poems – because poets feel a lot.
I felt like I could interact with their poems – in one instance, a poem (page 68, location 433) gave a question: “40 years ignoring yourself. How many minutes is that?” I got curious and brought out my calculator and responded with 21,024,000. Twenty-one million and twenty-four thousand minutes. This exchange made me feel like I was part of the poem, piecing together a puzzle alongside the author.
Occasional poems contain the use of braces – those {squiggly brackets} which, when the words in the braces came together, created a poem within the poem. I absolutely loved this! One such example is: “I cannot tell {if I am}/{Delirious} or drunk. I cannot tell if {you are}/ Medicine or {poison}” (page 77, location 491).
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry.
August 26, 2021
I can't recommend this enough
Melissa is a talented writer and poet. They have a deep understanding of their own self and a talent of expressing this and how they see the world around them. There are definite themes that emerge from this work of fire, the stars and waves (from calm to storms). I feel like a lot of poets use the supernatural in their work as though this alone is enough to make their poetry magical but Melissa uses these themes originally and as a result, the book has a dreamy quality to it which I really enjoyed.
I can't wait to see what they write next, this was a pleasure to read.
Melissa is a talented writer and poet. They have a deep understanding of their own self and a talent of expressing this and how they see the world around them. There are definite themes that emerge from this work of fire, the stars and waves (from calm to storms). I feel like a lot of poets use the supernatural in their work as though this alone is enough to make their poetry magical but Melissa uses these themes originally and as a result, the book has a dreamy quality to it which I really enjoyed.
I can't wait to see what they write next, this was a pleasure to read.
November 1, 2017
I had some favorites that made me stop and reread them a few times; THIS IS WHY I FLOAT, LET THE GODDESSES TAKE ME AWAY, I AM MY OWN SUN, and HOMEMADE. As for the rest of the collection, there just wasn't a lot that I connected with, personally. Melissa Jennings is boss at creating titles, though.
August 25, 2017
A fiery, bold tribute to the vivid life that lingers inside each moment. Several of these poems (like Thorns) had such delicious wordplay that I read them twice or the times, just to turn them over in my head.
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your fierce heart with us!
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your fierce heart with us!
July 31, 2017
Dealing with depression is never easy, knowing from experience. This is a beautiful compilation of poems that I found to be very relatable <3
April 1, 2018
Overall I liked this. However, the majority of the shorter poems simply didn't make an impression on me. The lenghtier ones were much better in my opinion, because I found more substance in them. But since there's almost an even number of short and longer poems in this book, my rating lands on a solid middle. Here I'll share some of my favorites:
There were only two short ones that I actually liked:
BITTERSWEET TRUTH
Death once told me:
Time is why we love.
FIRST, THERE WAS SMOKE
Love is not a whisper,
It is a scream that wakes you up.
And I cannot NOT mention SORRY SHOULD BE A REVOLUTION because it truly resonated with me, despite it not being my favorite of the bunch.
There were only two short ones that I actually liked:
BITTERSWEET TRUTH
Death once told me:
Time is why we love.
FIRST, THERE WAS SMOKE
Love is not a whisper,
It is a scream that wakes you up.
And I cannot NOT mention SORRY SHOULD BE A REVOLUTION because it truly resonated with me, despite it not being my favorite of the bunch.
March 30, 2018
Forever grateful for Twitter first introducing me to Melissa Jennings. I followed the book reviews on their excellent blog, and had, until now, only read snippets of their writing.
Perhaps because I also read Dear Judas, the first of The Dead Letters series, by Melissa that I felt initially disappointed by Afterlife. Dear Judas is free flowing, whereas Afterlife has shorter poems. They are completely different animals though.
Melissa obviously takes great care of their craft, and technically their writing is superb. It's dark, and visceral which gives the reader great imagery found in the elements, and on the themes of depression, relationships, the self. etc.
The concepts in the longer poems, which are so layered, explore its themes through questions. Judas, and Underworld, are referred to, and these make a reappearance in Melissa's future works. This makes this feel organic, as if Melissa is flourishing from their writing, inspiring themselves.
I think one of the best things about poetry is when poets write exactly how we feel, putting their pain into words that resonate with ourselves, and you have that that's it, exactly feeling. Melissa achieves this so well.
Afterlife is a delicious, full bodied, collection of poetry I keep returning to, turning over the pages, and I'm sure anybody, a fan of poetry or not, will overlook the genre, and find something in this collection to treasure.
Perhaps because I also read Dear Judas, the first of The Dead Letters series, by Melissa that I felt initially disappointed by Afterlife. Dear Judas is free flowing, whereas Afterlife has shorter poems. They are completely different animals though.
Melissa obviously takes great care of their craft, and technically their writing is superb. It's dark, and visceral which gives the reader great imagery found in the elements, and on the themes of depression, relationships, the self. etc.
The concepts in the longer poems, which are so layered, explore its themes through questions. Judas, and Underworld, are referred to, and these make a reappearance in Melissa's future works. This makes this feel organic, as if Melissa is flourishing from their writing, inspiring themselves.
I think one of the best things about poetry is when poets write exactly how we feel, putting their pain into words that resonate with ourselves, and you have that that's it, exactly feeling. Melissa achieves this so well.
Afterlife is a delicious, full bodied, collection of poetry I keep returning to, turning over the pages, and I'm sure anybody, a fan of poetry or not, will overlook the genre, and find something in this collection to treasure.
July 3, 2018
An interesting collection of dark poetry interspersed with breaks for light. Melissa, states at the end she is experimenting much with poetry forms, these add to the depth of the creativity she is presenting, a something “new” to modern free verse. The emotional topics are very deep and dark, the emotional tunnel that many, including myself have travel through. Learning that the darkness of depressive states passes, life gets better, the light shines. A unique and daring write, well done Melissa!
February 11, 2018
This book was recommended to me by a friend and let me tell you that IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT AT ALL. I honestly LOVE this book! Like each poetry within this book completely resonances with me. I love how each poetry gives me different emotions while reading it. This is one of the books which I would love to reread whenever I need a break from reading YA books. Because I just love the way Jennings captured her emotions within each poems. Which is why I'm so excited to read her next books!
November 21, 2017
Beautiful
Each poem is in its own world and I love that. I wasn't sure what style or feel to expect but you are transported to space in this collection and the world created each page turn is beautiful and heartfelt. Struggling and hope mixed together so well. Such a good collection.
Each poem is in its own world and I love that. I wasn't sure what style or feel to expect but you are transported to space in this collection and the world created each page turn is beautiful and heartfelt. Struggling and hope mixed together so well. Such a good collection.
December 26, 2017
Haunting.
The form of the poetry is clever, and the words are impactful. Melissa Jennings uses personal experiences that don't alienate the reader, but enables the reader to think about important issues, and reach their own level of understanding.
Will definitely read Afterlife again.
The form of the poetry is clever, and the words are impactful. Melissa Jennings uses personal experiences that don't alienate the reader, but enables the reader to think about important issues, and reach their own level of understanding.
Will definitely read Afterlife again.
December 7, 2017
I really didn't want this book to end. It's on the dark side but that's the beauty of it. Not too many can achieve both at once.
April 2, 2018
This is really delightfully moving. I love how this collection is modern but still plays with rhyme a lot which gives it a more traditional, classic vibe.
Read
February 15, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Depression
Anxiety
Intrusive thoughts
Trauma flashbacks
Suicidal ideation
Self-harm
Depression
Anxiety
Intrusive thoughts
Trauma flashbacks
Suicidal ideation
Self-harm
June 20, 2017
Very thought provoking and emotive.
Loved it!
Loved it!
Read
May 6, 2018I was struck by how cohesive of a work this was. Each poem bled into the next very nicely, making it a quick and un-jagged read. You can tell that Melissa meant every single word of this collection, & it serves as an intimate look at this time of their life.
November 4, 2017
Short and sweet, this is perfect for fans of Amanda Lovelace's work and a wonderful collection both for people who are lifelong fans of poetry (and want to see what it has become with Jennings' form experimentation) or for those looking to dip their toes into poetry for the first time.
October 27, 2017
If you could feel what I feel
You would not feel at all
I felt everything that the author wanted a reader to feel. This book is written well. I don't like every poem but I love most of it.
'I am my own sun' is my favorite
This book is short. It took me around 30 minutes to read it. It's well formatted.
Thanks for writing it!
August 9, 2017
I've been plowing my way through modern poetry books lately and some of them tend to blend and get confused in my mind. But this one stands out and it's due to the utter rawness of Melissa's writing. Emotional, relatable, and accessible even if you've never experienced the subject matter. I look forward to her next collection!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews