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When He Leaves You
When He Leaves You is a collection of short poetry and prose, biopsied with tears and red wine. It dives into themes of love, loss, a connection to water, and never forgetting what it means to be alive. Separated into six sections: Childhood, Him, Everything Is You, Over, Repairing, and Perspective, it takes you on a journey to find a new outlook.
211 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2018
234 people are currently reading
5888 people want to read
About the author
Michaela Angemeer
8 books771 followersMichaela Angemeer (she/they) is a queer Canadian poet who’s passionate about sharing her healing journey and inspiring readers to spend more time with their feelings.
They’ve published five best-selling collections of poetry including When He Leaves You, You’ll Come Back to Yourself, Please Love Me at My Worst, Poems for the Signs, and There Is Room for All of You Here.
Michaela’s newest book, Please Look into the Mirror, is about facing the darkness to find light. Separated into three sections: Glass, Mirror, and Reflection, it’s about the mother wound, gaining a deeper sense of self, learning to take accountability and finding relief in cycle breaking.
Michaela lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her Frenchton, Bea. You can find her intently browsing thrift stores, ordering tapas at local restaurants or on her couch yapping to her girlfriend.
Get in touch on TikTok & Instagram: @michaelapoetry
They’ve published five best-selling collections of poetry including When He Leaves You, You’ll Come Back to Yourself, Please Love Me at My Worst, Poems for the Signs, and There Is Room for All of You Here.
Michaela’s newest book, Please Look into the Mirror, is about facing the darkness to find light. Separated into three sections: Glass, Mirror, and Reflection, it’s about the mother wound, gaining a deeper sense of self, learning to take accountability and finding relief in cycle breaking.
Michaela lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her Frenchton, Bea. You can find her intently browsing thrift stores, ordering tapas at local restaurants or on her couch yapping to her girlfriend.
Get in touch on TikTok & Instagram: @michaelapoetry
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
May 6, 2023
4⭐️
"When he comes back don’t you dare forget how you broke when he left"
"When he comes back don’t you dare forget how you broke when he left"
August 5, 2023
“our eyes are the same
shade of chocolate
the crook of your neck
calls me by name
your smile lines only
make mine deeper
the way your hands
put me at ease feels
more natural than the
sky’s shade of blue
when god made you
i can’t help but think
he had me in mind”
Reading her melancholic poetry evoked emotions of sadness within me. Although the sadness was overwhelming, I appreciate feeling something.
September 10, 2018
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
I wish this was better. There were some poems I really liked but the rest felt kinda meh to me. I know this is the author's debut collection, so I am hopeful for more in the future!
I wish this was better. There were some poems I really liked but the rest felt kinda meh to me. I know this is the author's debut collection, so I am hopeful for more in the future!
January 24, 2023
"you asked me
If I liked flowers
I knew you wanted me
to say no
so I did
you muttered they don't last long enough
I still don't know
if that's when you
realized I was also
temporary."
If I liked flowers
I knew you wanted me
to say no
so I did
you muttered they don't last long enough
I still don't know
if that's when you
realized I was also
temporary."
August 1, 2021
By now you should know I love this type of books because there you can find so many incredible things and it amazes me how with some simple words it can touches your heart, but with this one wasn't the case at all. I guess it tried to give something that lacked from the beggining and I couldn't connect or feel anything, but good thing it's easy and fast to read.
July 18, 2021
No poetry book is really doing it for me recently
February 18, 2023
every part of losing
a loved one is the
hardest part but
nothing feels
heavier than
knowing it
is coming
a loved one is the
hardest part but
nothing feels
heavier than
knowing it
is coming
September 16, 2023
“it’s not that you don’t love him anymore, it’s that you can’t”
June 21, 2025
One thing that I realized after reading this book is that I still need some time to get used to modern poetry.
I like the theme of love, grief, and repairing your heart that this collection of poems conveyed. However, I had some problems with the line breaks in some poems.
Maybe it's just a me thing, but sometimes the line breaks felt imposed and not really doing anything to break a thought or reinforce a meaning.
For example, here's a poem from the book:
And here's how I would have used the line breaks:
our teeth sparkled
bright white
when we first met
but you drank
too much
black coffee
and i too much
red wine
so now these stains
on what used to be
pure white
are all
that’s left of us
Another thing that I want to convey is that poetry is both imagery and emotions. Poets express what they feel. If a poem feels like too much imagery and does not convey the emotions it should, then it appears to be confusing or bland.
For instance, consider the following poem for this book:
It has really good imagery, but I couldn't process the emotion behind it to understand it better. It felt like just a string of words that paint a picture without feeling.
Some poems in the 'childhood' and 'repairing' sections really touched my heart.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
I like the theme of love, grief, and repairing your heart that this collection of poems conveyed. However, I had some problems with the line breaks in some poems.
Maybe it's just a me thing, but sometimes the line breaks felt imposed and not really doing anything to break a thought or reinforce a meaning.
For example, here's a poem from the book:
our teeth sparkled
bright white when
we first met but you
drank too much black
coffee and i too much
red wine so now these
stains on what used
to be pure white are
all that’s left of us
And here's how I would have used the line breaks:
our teeth sparkled
bright white
when we first met
but you drank
too much
black coffee
and i too much
red wine
so now these stains
on what used to be
pure white
are all
that’s left of us
Another thing that I want to convey is that poetry is both imagery and emotions. Poets express what they feel. If a poem feels like too much imagery and does not convey the emotions it should, then it appears to be confusing or bland.
For instance, consider the following poem for this book:
you are obsessed with
picking things up
putting them down
for years you built
blisters that thickened
on your palms like
moss on forgotten rocks
if you weren’t so focused
on your self-perceived
imperfections you might
have noticed my mind
throwing your stones
into the river hoping
to find some depth
It has really good imagery, but I couldn't process the emotion behind it to understand it better. It felt like just a string of words that paint a picture without feeling.
Some poems in the 'childhood' and 'repairing' sections really touched my heart.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
January 4, 2024
I don’t know a lot about poetry but I know some of my teachers from ages ago would have their little fit if they saw that it’s considered poetry. I enjoyed “you’ll come back to yourself” a lot more than this one - not sure why, since the writing is basically the same, but this time it threw me off more.
July 3, 2018
Her debut book of poetry has great depth of emotion. Her poetry is fabulous, so relatable, so precise, so human, a must read. The grieving, the loss, the letting go of love; then to heal from the heartaches of living in this brief space of time we have. Truly touching words, I loved every page, I look forward to another book from her. My faves are on pages: 83,84,87,134 & 146.
November 22, 2023
Never before have I connected so deeply with a poetry book! How wonderful this book is!
Read
June 10, 2024uhhh
October 27, 2025
made me relapse of my heartbreak all over again & for that this book deserves all the stars possible for cutting me bare open and let me mourn in the phrases.
Read
October 5, 2022~~leave your expectations
outside the door
i do not want to
meet any of them~~
outside the door
i do not want to
meet any of them~~
August 31, 2018
Incredible
An incredibly well written collection of poetry that deals with topics such as heartbreak, family, grief, and love. I personally related with many of these poems and it made me feel better that someone else has felt the way I do. Each poem made me want to read more and more. I’m looking forward to see what this author has planned next.
An incredibly well written collection of poetry that deals with topics such as heartbreak, family, grief, and love. I personally related with many of these poems and it made me feel better that someone else has felt the way I do. Each poem made me want to read more and more. I’m looking forward to see what this author has planned next.
April 17, 2023
Some parts are extremly touching but over all it isn't something special. 7/10
November 7, 2020
I'm no poem expert but I feel like it's missing something. Some of the poems are really good but a lot of them feels like spoken word that are formed and indented to make it "look" like poetry when it is just... words. I do like the theme of falling in love and trying to move on and how it started from childhood. But I saw the same from others and they did it better. I wish Michaela would improve though because some of her poems in here are actually good and that maybe she could start from there.
April 11, 2023
This author is💀💀💀💀💀
October 20, 2020
READ THIS BOOK! I had never read her work before, but I was drawn to read this book because the title really spoke to me, and I wasn't disappointed! Angemeer writes such relatable poetry that anyone who has ever loved before will be able to connect with. As an avid poetry reader, I knew that this collection of poetry would most likely punch me right in the heart, and I was completely right. Angemeer's description of her experiences with lost love and grieving is exactly what I needed to reassure me that I am not alone in these feelings. There were so many poems that spoke to me and left me feeling emotionally refreshed.
June 11, 2024
"𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦,
𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵"
one of the most wonderful pieces of poetry I have read. I never realised I wanted to hear all those words. it felt like I was reading my own emotions written so accurately and wonderfully.
𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵"
one of the most wonderful pieces of poetry I have read. I never realised I wanted to hear all those words. it felt like I was reading my own emotions written so accurately and wonderfully.
February 17, 2019
Good thing it’s part of kindle unlimited
The book was okay, cheesy. The good thing is, I didn’t have to pay for it, since it’s part of kindle unlimited.
The book was okay, cheesy. The good thing is, I didn’t have to pay for it, since it’s part of kindle unlimited.
November 26, 2020
if you've had your heartbroken by a friend, or lover, or even family or if you've been the heartbreaker this book is for you
March 22, 2023
You did not suck, but certain parts of you sucked af.
Read
April 25, 2023I only like the “Childhood” Chapter ✨ but I can’t seem to give a rating since reading this make me understand what the author gone through & her feelings…but the book is just not for me.. so to give a rating is kinda hard because it feel like I’m rating her emotion & experience? So i decided not to rate 🫶🏼 here are the one i love ⬇️
“i saw vulnerability
drip from my
father’s eyes
for the first time
when i was twelvei learned the
sweet sick
balance of
empathy and blame”
•
“i tried to find my father
in different forms
eventually
i realized
no man could
make up for
what he missed”
•
“i told you so
is still
our way
of saying
i love you”
•
“i love you
with the tears
we have shed together
the blood that ran
through your veins
into mine the laughter
that somehow brings
more tears all the
unconditional love
we still have hereto mom and dad”
Excerpt From
When He Leaves You
Michaela Angemeer
This material may be protected by copyright.
“i saw vulnerability
drip from my
father’s eyes
for the first time
when i was twelvei learned the
sweet sick
balance of
empathy and blame”
•
“i tried to find my father
in different forms
eventually
i realized
no man could
make up for
what he missed”
•
“i told you so
is still
our way
of saying
i love you”
•
“i love you
with the tears
we have shed together
the blood that ran
through your veins
into mine the laughter
that somehow brings
more tears all the
unconditional love
we still have hereto mom and dad”
Excerpt From
When He Leaves You
Michaela Angemeer
This material may be protected by copyright.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
Starting from childhood venturing through life from dealing with parents separating and love breaking down, to finding love with someone for the first time and experiencing the relationship fall apart over time this book was another moving collection of short poetry.
I found the most relatable poem in this selection, around the theme and idea of chasing bodily perfection with the author asking if she was smaller would he have stayed after losing her appetite after he left.
I found it heart breaking and so relatable as someone who struggle with anorexia as a teen and been through a rough heartbreak too, I can't lie when I say I have felt exactly the same way.
The take away from this book is to use it as a companion through heartbreak to realise the issues if he leaves are with him, though it may not feel like it, he would stay if he wanted despite you loving him without it being reciprocal you're better off keeping yourself happy l, someone else will appreciate and accept you for being you, wonderful as you are!
I found the most relatable poem in this selection, around the theme and idea of chasing bodily perfection with the author asking if she was smaller would he have stayed after losing her appetite after he left.
I found it heart breaking and so relatable as someone who struggle with anorexia as a teen and been through a rough heartbreak too, I can't lie when I say I have felt exactly the same way.
The take away from this book is to use it as a companion through heartbreak to realise the issues if he leaves are with him, though it may not feel like it, he would stay if he wanted despite you loving him without it being reciprocal you're better off keeping yourself happy l, someone else will appreciate and accept you for being you, wonderful as you are!
March 27, 2022
3.5 stars!
This poetry book was so easy to get through and explored topics of love loss and family. Going into this book, I thought it was all going to be about relationships which was the aspect of the book that I least enjoyed. I felt the exploration of romantic relationships could have been deeper.The first and last sections were probably my favorite. When she talks about learning to love based on her childhood and how hard it is to find someone who would amount to how good a father is when a daughter is young. I really related to that and enjoyed reading it. My other favorite was the last section about perspective where Angemeer explores the love of her grandmother and how she aspires to love like her.
This poetry book was so easy to get through and explored topics of love loss and family. Going into this book, I thought it was all going to be about relationships which was the aspect of the book that I least enjoyed. I felt the exploration of romantic relationships could have been deeper.The first and last sections were probably my favorite. When she talks about learning to love based on her childhood and how hard it is to find someone who would amount to how good a father is when a daughter is young. I really related to that and enjoyed reading it. My other favorite was the last section about perspective where Angemeer explores the love of her grandmother and how she aspires to love like her.
June 2, 2025
"i can’t possibly believe that god chose
you and i
to drown
in the same river with no intention of helping us find what
we need to build a raft"
- rapids
"i still have that scar from when you made me trip
over my words there’s a small mark on my right earlobe from when you whispered we’re the same
i can’t seem to get rid of the sore on
the back of my throat
from when you asked me
to swallow my tongue and i
don’t think this burn on my
chest from loving you more than a human should love a wildfire will ever go away"
"i fell in love with a version of you that does not exist"
"you remind me of overpriced coffee
second guessing myself
that red drawstring hoodie
unreliability
and
sentences strung together poorly
so why am i still
writing about you"
you and i
to drown
in the same river with no intention of helping us find what
we need to build a raft"
- rapids
"i still have that scar from when you made me trip
over my words there’s a small mark on my right earlobe from when you whispered we’re the same
i can’t seem to get rid of the sore on
the back of my throat
from when you asked me
to swallow my tongue and i
don’t think this burn on my
chest from loving you more than a human should love a wildfire will ever go away"
"i fell in love with a version of you that does not exist"
"you remind me of overpriced coffee
second guessing myself
that red drawstring hoodie
unreliability
and
sentences strung together poorly
so why am i still
writing about you"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews