Murmuration

by Blake Auden

Murmuration is a year's worth of emotions, anxious thoughts and panic attacks, each one a beating wing in the mind of the author. This book is an attempt to create something beautiful from this chaos; to make sense of the things we dare not breathe to life. Focusing on loss, heartbreak, mental health, and the impact of isolation on a tired mind, these poems are the starlings that gather above the water. These pages are the hope that we can learn to heal; that the future can survive the past.

Genres: Poetry, Mental Health

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Jungian.Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry is food for the soul
.
Thanks to #Netgalley and the author for making this book available to me.
.
I love reading poetry collection because they serve my soul its nutrients. This poetry collection 'Murmuration' does exactly that. The word 'Murmuration' itself is a concept of flight, of exalted beauty and of numbers. I can promise that each poem exalts, lifts and reveals patterns of beauty. Blake Auden was able to control and manipulate his emotions. I mean he would start with a line that definitely hints at grief, pain and sadness and he would liken it to snow, breathing, life and bravery.
.
I think my favourite poem, short but piercing like an arrow, goes thus
"What am I
if not
this daily
surrender?"
For me, this is the most powerful sentence in this collection. Simple, easy to understand but peels back emotions. I mean, we as people all seem to live each day in surrender. We surrender to circumstances, we surrender to society, we surrender to desire, we surrender to dreams, we surrender to people, we surrender to things everything. This does not mean it is bad, also it does not mean it is good. It simply means that one exists.
- I am probably overthinking things again but it is just so beautiful in its simplicity.

Blake adds certain statements and seeming conversations he has had with himself or self-reflections.
I quote
[Sometimes bravery is in the opposite direction to the battlefield.]
.
In my mind, I am thinking 'not everything is worth fighting for, choose your battles' because at the end of the day you are living to surrender.
.
I really loved reading this collection and I am looking forward to more of Blake Auden's work.

[Soula Kosti · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When you are young and they
tell you that love is immortal,
this is what they mean:
not that it's timeless; they mean
it's undying."

4.5 ✨

"Murmuration" was my introduction to Blake Auden's poetry and now I want to read everything he's ever written! Auden's poems have a melancholic tone that transcends the reader in a different place and time while breaking their heart in a million pieces.

Give me all the poems on loss. Help me bring these emotions on the surface. Allow me to feel the pain and overcome it. Always grateful for this type of art.

"i miss you,
by which i mean

i'm jealous
of the soil
that gets to hold
your bones."

Super thankful to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC, and Blake Auden for voicing the ache we experience after loss.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful, and hit the right spots at exactly the right moment.

[Nerea Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to say thank you to the author,  the editorial and Edelweiss for accepting my request to read the book in exchange for an honest review. 

I don't even know how to say this. I don't think I am capable of writing everything that's up on my mind about this book right now. 

Murmuration is one of the best poetry books I have ever read. It's so emotional, and its poems are so deep and so beautifully written. I wish I'd be able to write such beautiful poetry. 

This book talks about loss, grief, heartbreak, sadness, and love. 

“𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍,
𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚
𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒉.”

The author takes the grief and the loss of someone you once loved/still love and transforms it into something that breaks your heart when you read it. 

It's a book about past loves and the memories that are still clung into your soul and heart. The author takes your heart and shatters it into pieces like it were sand between his fingers. 

I did really enjoy the book a lot! It has been an absolute emotional roller coaster. I can't think about one thing that makes me regret the decision I made when I rated it with 5 stars. 

In addition, it also has illustrations so well designed and full of love that I am sure everyone who reads this book will love! 

I was so excited when I was accepted! I fell in love with the book even before I had the incredible opportunity to read it! 

I highly recommend it, because it is, by far, one of the greatest poetry books I’ve ever read (like I said before). 

If you love raw and vulnerable poems, or if you like books that talk about love and heartbreak, ‘Murmuration’ is your book! I can assure you this book will be the perfect choice! 

Murmuration comes out on 5th October 2021, so stay tunned! 

#Edelweiss #Murmuration #BlakeAuden #poetry

[Puppybhai · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I surround myself with trees in the hope i might become a growing thing, too."

There are so many favorite lines of mine from this collection of poems. The chaos that Blake tries to portray in "Murmuration" gets to me completely.

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 😊🧡🙏🏾

[E-Lynn Kok · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this title with all my heart! I can't wait to see it in stores and witness how well it will sell! I am confident that everyone will be able to find a slice of life or a reflection of themselves in one of the poems in the book.

I love the metaphors in it tremendously. The simple raw poems are the ones that tug my heartstrings the most. The minimalistic illustrations to go with the poems are perfection. Art has many spectrums, the simplistic ones often carry more meaning. Congrats on your book! I can't wait to buy a copy for myself.

My favourite piece is:
i am
a child of autumn,
at home amongst things
that know only
of falling.

[Anna Tsagkari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of Murmuration by Blake Auden, through NetGalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of poetry. Auden writes about how vulnerability is a strength (" maybe we are designed to break/to be taught how much/we can take and still endure."), experiencing loss (" of all the things I have survived it breaks my heart that you had to be one of them"), finding beauty in pain and grief (" maybe we don't get to choose/how long we burn/maybe we don't choose /what the flames leave behind"), picking up your pieces after a loss ( " I am more bone/than embrace/more the riverbed/than the water") and how our losses have shaped us (" we try not to think of the past we carry/but it still finds us, both/ still it demands to be/remembered").

[Charlotte Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning collection of poetry. The descriptive language was fantastic. I really enjoyed the poems in this book. Sometimes it felt a little depressing but as the poems were about loss it’s understandable but also relatable to most people as most has been through breakups and loss in some way or another. Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed poetry.

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.*

An exceptional collection of beautiful heartfelt poems on love, anxious thoughts/feelings, isolation, and heartache.

I almost feel as if Auden's works are empathic in nature, his way of saying: 'I know what you're feeling. I know what you're going through. I got you, friend. I'm here for you.' The proverbial shoulder to cry on, if you will.

Some of the works in Murmuration certainly hit home. Thus, it deserves all the praise!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *

This book is absolutely incredibly. Full of raw, honest emotion. I loved it.
I'd definitely say it's one of my favourite poetry collections of the year.

[Giovanna Pohli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summing up this book: The guy looked like a 16-year-old hurt from the first breakup.
I wouldn't say there's a really remarkable poem, just interesting excerpts like:
"I say I'm sorry and I love you, and it doesn't change anything, it doesn't mean anything."
"I engrave my name on every tree I find [...] I just want my name to be part of something that grows."
The many things in common between the poems, such as the words Bones, Sea, Fire, this repetition of themes can become tedious.
Well, what can I say, I'm disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! / Obrigada NetGalley pela oportunidade em troca de uma resenha honesta :)

[Charleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murmuration is an incredible collection of poetry. Haunting, relatable and heartbreaking. So many poems gave me chills and reminded me of times when I’ve felt that way. 

Each poem came from the heart and even though raw and vulnerable, they were woven together with such beauty. 

One of the best poetry books I’ve ever read. Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best poetry books I’ve read so far. Emotional, strong, raw, sometimes hard and always truthful. It was such a pleasure reading this poetry book. I took my time reading each poem, then thinking about it, dissecting it and feeling it. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Sam (samstacksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

♦︎REVIEW♦︎ A poetic experience where emotions take flight, chaos finds beauty, and hope emerges from despair.

Murmuration
By @blakeaudenpoetry
Rating: 4★
Format: 🎧+📱

Murmuration is a collection of poems that capture a year’s worth of emotions, including anxiety, panic attacks, and heartbreak, serving as a reflection of the author’s turbulent thoughts and feelings. It strives to find beauty amid chaos, digging into themes of loss, mental health, and the effects of isolation. Ultimately, the poems represent a hopeful message, suggesting that healing is possible and the future can overcome the burdens of the past.

I haven’t really read poetry until now. I always found it difficult to understand the message. I’m happy Auden’s writing was easy to appreciate. It’s written as inner dialogue and self reflections about vulnerability being strength, finding beauty in pain and grief, picking up the pieces after loss, and how our losses have shaped us.

The emotional tone could be felt as distressing, but I think that’s appropriate given the topic and you’ll find the comfort between the lines.

[Leeza Jayde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been an admirer of Blake Auden's poetry for many years now through his instagram community, so when I discovered he'd published another poetry book, I bought it without question. And it was worth every dollar I spent on it. Blake's ability to stitch together honest and moving prose in such an open and intimate manner made me feel personally so understood in regards to his exploration of mental health, grief and loss. As a poet myself, I was constantly re-reading lines, impressed by his use of various poetic techniques while conveying such deeply powerful and personal messages. There's a great variation of short and longer pieces too with occasional expressive images to visually break it up as well so the eye doesn't become too fatigued layout-wise when reading. Overall, this is a poignant, well-written and moving poetry collection. I couldn't recommend it more. Blake is one of the best poets on mental health in our times, in my opinion, and I eagerly await his next poetry collection.

[Dessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange of an honest review. "Murmuration" by Blake Auden is cathartic, raw and tragic poetry collection of three parts that tells the story of a heartbreak or what is left after it. There is extraordinary power in the silent and breath-taking way the poems are written. Although the poems aren't very long, some of them are simply a sentence or two long, they almost-drown you in emotion. Almost, so that you can continue diving deeper into this book. Auden uses metaphors and fragile yet strong words, controls his emotions and reaches for the reader's soul to create truly beautiful and astounding poems. I strongly recommend "Murmuration" to everyone who is looking for a book that will keep a part of them once they have finished it.

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another beautiful collection of poems. Auden has a very consistent way of using words and paragraphs to give each poem emotions that come through to the reader. What differs this from other poetry books is the way some poems are designed differently or that some pages have an illustration in it connected to a poem. It definitely makes them memorable.

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy.

[Zainab Shalaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was magnificent and so heartbreaking. The poetry was sweet and mostly sad. It reminded me how words can touch and transform. It reminded me how words taste and melt at the tip of your brain. It's divided into three parts. I read each of the first two on two consecutive days. However, I couldn't bring myself to read the third part on the third day because I wanted it to last forever. I didn't want it to end. I have already started recommending it to all poetry readers that I know. It's a book about grief, memories, and moving forward. I highly recommend this book.

[Alexander Bouraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book in the world of poems.

Having just gone through a heart break, I found myself relating to the authors poems all throughout the book. It’s refreshing to see someone write your thoughts out on paper. You feel accepted and realize it IS ok to feel this way and that you are not alone.

Absolutely beautiful

[Caitlin Conlon]

Murmuration is a reflection on heartbreak, loss, & mental health — great for somebody that’s new to poetry, or somebody that’s going through a difficult time in their life & is seeking some validation.

[Pelden Wangchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for the arc

I love every poem and it was so engaging. It talks about falling in love, dealing with love and it's consequences and moving on. It moved my heart and soul.

[Veronica Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such beautiful writing and poetry. Definitely a favorite.

[Riley Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Loved the metaphors and imagery throughout.

[Alexia Cousineau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved.
Themes of anatomy, water, fire, earth and air.
Couldn’t put it down.

[Michelle McGrane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“the sea breaks around my feet
before moving out again like an inhaled breath.
above the water, a mass of starlings
twist and collapse in on themselves
before bursting out in an explosion of tiny bones.

I watch the birds beyond the iron carrion
and by now the water is below my knees.
I look down and wonder
if any amount of salt could drown
the monsters in my blood.”

𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 is a year's worth of emotions, anxious thoughts and panic attacks, each one a beating wing in the mind of the author.

This book is an attempt to create something beautiful from this chaos; to make sense of the things we dare not breathe to life. Focusing on loss, heartbreak, mental health, and the impact of isolation on a tired mind, these poems are the starlings that gather above the water. These pages are the hope that we can learn to heal; that the future can survive the past.

𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:

“Loving you taught me more than I
ever wanted to learn about loss, and not
nearly enough about belonging”

The poems and illustrations in Blake Auden’s fourth collection will immediately resonate with anyone who has felt broken by love and believes they have “no futures left, other/ than those without you”. A lump may form in your throat and your heart rate may increase as you realize these are the stricken thoughts and feelings you were never conscious enough to verbalize.

“i still wear
your goodbye
like a definition.

i guess
i don’t know how
to be anything

other
than the person
you left.”

In 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 Auden’s poetry is full of despair, longing and a sense of loss that is, at times, feral. His work faces the ugly emotions we run from head on.

For some readers, it’s the ability to get truly lost in a poem that draws them to poetry in the first place, and those readers won’t be let down here. 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 has given me food for thought.

𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕

Blake Auden is a poet, writer and artist living in Brighton, UK. He has published three previous poetry collections: 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒅’𝒔 𝑺𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝑩𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒓 and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑾𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅. He is a winner of the Button Poetry 2020 Short Form Prize.

Growing up with a father in the military, Blake began reading war poetry from an early age, where he became fascinated with the ability of prose to capture both deeply traumatic and cathartic experiences. Blake’s work now focuses on loss, heartbreak and mental health.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @CentAvePub for a DRC of 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 by Blake Auden.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Such a beautiful collection of poems that encompasses a variety of relationships we experience throughout our lives. The only reason Im not giving a higher rating is because of some repetition that didn’t quite feel like a thread throughout the collection that it think the author was intending it to be. Other than that I really enjoyed reading through all of the smart, emotional, and touching pieces.

"i can't keep holding
sacrament on my tongue
when longing is already
too close to prayer"

"but the word mother
is lost in my mouth

because the edges are whetted with grief
and i don't know how to say it
with the gratitude
it deserves"

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received three books of poetry from this publisher as part of an Instagram book tour. They were all short and quick reads. This one was mainly about heartbreak and loss. There were images included with the poems and some pages contained brief thoughts. There was also a bit of bird related imagery that was interesting.

[Laura Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"i look down and wonder
if any amount of salt could purge
the monsters from my blood"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This collection was so lovely. Many poems broke me, where I just had to sit a moment and feel.

MURMURATION is written in a similar hybrid-style of Rupi Kaur, where images accompany the text. The poems are short and elemental--sometimes a single image or thought. MURMURATION is deep, aching, poignant, ruminating on loss and love, grief and longing. Though the observations are powerful, the collection feels light and ethereal. Much enjoyed.

"i surround
myself
with trees
in the hope
i might become
a growing thing, too."

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘I’ve been writing these poems, looking for a way to heal. And hoping to God I don’t find one’