Poems to Fix a F**ked Up World

by Various

Sometimes it's hard to keep looking up at the stars when the gutter we're in seems so full of sh*t.

But isn't that why we need poetry?

Oscar Wilde wrote some of his best poetry when he was in prison for 'the love that dare not speak its name'.

Nelson Mandela held fast to his 'unconquerable soul' on Robben Island with the help of the words a poet wrote about his battle with tuberculosis a century before.

So maybe it's not inconceivable that the words in this little book could help you put some of the sh*t in perspective, get all the important bits of your life - like sleep, work, food, travel, love and learning - in some kind of balance, so you can go back to star-gazing again . . .

Taking as its starting point the classic 'wheel of balance' life-coach model, this beautifully packaged collection of extracts and short poems gathers wisdom old and new in a perfect gift for anyone who needs comfort in this f**ked up world of ours.

'This is not a poetry book as you know it, this is a life raft.' Emerald Street on Poems for a World Gone to Sh*t.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Hardcover

Published August 22, 2019

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly disappointed by this lame, lazy anthology. The same names, the same extracts, all of it rendered meaningless when merely splooshed on a page like this. Quite shit.

[Wiki Dugiel-Sliwka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poems are a bit all over the place. Would be much more enjoyable to read of certain themes followed suit.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it was a bit all over the place. Some of the poems fitted the theme, others didn’t.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many of the poems didn't seem to fit the categories, or were from Shakespeare's plays. Also, there was an annoying habit of leaving a blank page before the poems, so you're actually reading a much smaller collection than you think.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly delightful collection with a great mix of themes and authors!

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Well, it is a bit on the simple side. There is so much more that could have been done with this book. It’s not exactly the Poetry Pharmacy (my love, my light). But then again, it’s a great collection to read in one sitting before bed to remind yourself of the vastness of human suffering and hope and put things into perspective while you’re at it. A nice mix of the classic and contemporary, but leaning more toward the famous than the lesser known work.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels messy and chaotic, like someone copied and pasted all these poems to fit this book but didn't reconsider the theme of the title. There was no red threat to follow just a messy collection all together.

Some poems are nice if you consider them separate of the book.

But I personally wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a collection.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked most of these poems, and it did indeed make me feel a bit better about the various themes in the book (even if I'm not sure how many connected to 'fixing the world'? they seemed to be just about various life themes).

[Isabel Vanlint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this but not as much as reading more modern poetry. I think I’m glad I read it but in future I wouldn’t gravitate towards this style of poetry book, as I prefer a lot of the less structured poetry. But I did particularly enjoy some of the nursery rhymes & extracts included in the book.

[Lauren Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that this collection is broken up into sections that you can dip into depending on moon

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it well enough, no point to the themes as they were loosely followed.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some of the poems but most of them completely did not fit the title

[Merel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No more wine? then we'll push back chairs and talk" -Robert Browning

Very nice collection, equally as well done as the first anthology of this series.

[Rune Fey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay collection of poems. Nothing more, nothing less. Nowhere near fixing a f**ked up world.

[Nimra C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad

[Sarah Durand Lathers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection, but kinda disjointed. Would have also liked a bit more depth.

[KM · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good collection

[Emma Helen Wilson-Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetry book for people who think they’re not into poetry!
Also has introduced me to the work of Nikita Gill for which I think I will be forever grateful.

[bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a joy to read. some of the poems read like speech, which makes it extra fun, while others really just ground you a little. should reread every so often

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restores a sense of awe in the world.