Say It's the Sea

by Kristina Mahr

The tide grabs you by
the ankles and drags you
back out to sea every time
you reach for me. Right? Say
it’s the tide. Say it’s the sea.
Say you are not
choosing this.

Kristina Mahr's fifth poetry collection, Say It's the Sea , finds new and simultaneously exhilarating and heart-wrenching ways to blend her familiar lyrical style with further exploration of what it means to be human, to be brave, to love.

To go all in and lose it all.

To get it back.

And to risk it all again.

Genres: Poetry

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2020

About the author

Kristina Mahr is a Chicago-based author and poet known for her ability to capture raw emotion in prose. With four published novels and an extensive collection of poetry to her name, she has built a reputation for distilling complex feelings into words that resonate. Her greatest reward as a writer is creating those moments of profound connection - when readers find their own unspoken truths reflected in her words, transforming solitary feelings into shared experiences. When not writing, she enjoys drinking tall glasses of iced tea, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

Kristina is represented by Kaitlyn Katsoupis at Belcastro Agency.

Reviews

[Sanpaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10.
Mahr utilizes an extremely overdone topic in an amazing way, but it results in a very repetitive, even if good, collection of poetry.

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more on Books and Ladders!

This was okay - and had some really great poems about heartbreak and healing. I think if you're going through a particularly hard breakup, or have recently, this would be a good read for you.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book of poems was enjoyable and I would recommend if your going through a heartbreak. However, none of the poems made my heart ache like some do. That's not to say this wasn't a good book though so I would recommend if your going through a heartbreak.

[Kacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I no longer have heartache, I could still relate to this book because I have experienced it before. So many poems resonated to me, it was beautifully written.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a lot of poetry. I found the poem (that I must have encountered elsewhere) about halfway through this collection that intrigued me enough to buy the book. Sadly, that poem along with a couple of others, cannot make up for the 222 pages of ... well I won't use unkind words, but suffice it to say that my 65 year male self isn't the target audience.

I tried describing the poems to a friend and she said it sounds like someone gave chatgpt 100 words to use to write short poems about unrequited love.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

AN OCEAN

"I am falling
out of love
with you, I am.

It just takes
some time
to drain
an ocean."


PLUMMETING

"They say time heals all wounds,
but time is a drop
of rain and I'm wildfire.
It's a band-aid
and I've been gutted.
It's paper wings
and I'm plummeting.

It's an" I'm sorry".
It's an "I didn't mean to hurt you" .
It's an "I wish I could be what you need" .
Maybe it's helping
But not enough."

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristina Mahr has a way of writing the most beautiful poetry !! Her thoughts, feelings and emotions are so personal, and yet I always feel like the poems were meant just for me. They really truly help you to not feel so alone..they give advice, insight and hope. Her poems are like a hug for your heart and soul !! My favorite poet for sure !!

[Twitchmatic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love, love the way she flips words, scenarios, phrases and ideas around, inside out, and on top of each other.

A great collection of heartbreak, longing and reflection.

[AdaCakes · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 37%
It's literally a compilation of mostly short Facebook statuses but I cannot finish it. Zero stars. My regret is deeper than any of the "poems", but it was a really low bar.

[Val Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me acompañó. Es suficiente para mi.

[Lori Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was the second book of poems by Mahr that I have read. This book wasn't my favorite, there was a few poems that really stuck out, but most I could fly right past.

[Waki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mislim da bi mi ostavila puno jači dojam da sam u toksičnom situationshipu ili da sam svježe raskinula, u ovom trenutnom stanju mi stvarno malo znači

[Brielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Say It’s The Sea is one of my favorite of Kristina Mahr’s collections. It really stuck in my head and my heart.