Patina

by Anna Renee

patina

noun

pa·ti·na

Definition of patina

1: a thin surface layer or shell of varied color and texture, as on copper, developed as the result of age or weathering by exposure

to deliberately harsh circumstances.


2: a collection of poetry and spoken word pieces that have been written in the middle of storms and sorrow,

cheering from mountaintops, stumbling in the dark, crashing, burning, choosing to stand back up for the thousandth time;

this is what it means to have lived and to own your journey as part of your story, but not as your identity.

This is what it means to grow deeper and transform through painful circumstance,

to embrace the change and lean into the discomfort and sting and rebirth of yourself day after day.

This is what it means to heal.

This is what it means to grow.

This is what it means to catch yourself in a belly laugh at 3 in the afternoon on a Thursday and realize that

you are LIVING past what you thought had shattered you.

This is relearning what peace means, wrestling with yet resting in the divine promises of Christ.

This is real.

This is raw.

This is Patina.

“I have been through extreme trauma—of a different kind—and the place was familiar. I know the room that this collection is describing. And I know power when I see it…. This ripped my heart out, showed it to me, and then gently placed it back inside my chest…with perspective, with clarity, with acceptance to look inside my heart and understand it better." ~Christian Hanna, Author of "Dissonance"

147 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2020

Reviews

[Therese Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may know someone who needs this book. Someone who is struggling with abuse, with miscarriage, with depression, with life. So many things can pull a person under. It can help to hear the words of someone who’s gone through hard things, calling out from the other, better, side. I saved it for 3 AM on a tough anniversary and could feel the comfort coming from another person who understands something that I, too, feel deeply. Thank you, Anna Renee.

I highly recommend this book of spoken poetry for anyone struggling, who wants to be a survivor, who is determined to recover from a dark place. The images Anna Renee creates with words draw you viscerally into her experiences and along on her journey. It’s a difficult trip, but her insights light the way well.

[Jane]

This collection of poetry leaves me speechless.

This young woman has wrestled with heartbreak and crafted it into a compelling collection of poetry that reveals a depth of wisdom that only comes from having been forged in a fire.

Her willingness to publicly share her thoughts, and to lend her courage to other women experiencing domestic violence is a testament to her strength and tenacity. Her desire to advocate for the mental health, safety and VALUE of not just herself but every woman is so important in a time when society and social media tell us that our worth is determined by what others think of us. Her writing is honest, insightful, intense, and ultimately, empowering.

Her story is not pretty, but her patina is beautiful.

[Valerie Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is life-changing, Anna takes us along for some of the hardest moments of her life but then brings us to the mountaintop with her. This book is hope for a light at the end of the tunnel and the motivation to keep climbing our personal mountains