Kill Me Softly

by Elena Ruiz

p> Artfully weaving imaginative themes of discovery, endless possibility, and the vastness of the universe, this touching poetry collection will speak to the hearts and minds of dreamers and explorers, painting a vivid picture of the cosmos and our place in it. As a call to kindred souls, a rallying cry for visionaries, and a thoughtful exploration of futurism and the things that may soon cease to be mere science fiction, Kill Me Softly looks toward the stars, standing as a witness to the nature of endless possibility and the lessons that it can teach us. Through vivid imagery of twilight, planets, and voyages far beyond, this collection gazes upon our world and the struggles of humanity, offering a meaningful look at the human experience and the small blue rock we call home. Kill Me Softly strives to boldly go where few have gone before, bearing witness to the fundamental questions that have plagued humanity for millennia. What are we? Why are we here? Why do we love? And what lies beyond the night sky?

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2021

Reviews

[J.G. MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of Kill Me Softly by Elena Ruiz in exchange for an honest review, but I ended up purchasing my own Kindle copy because of the stellar reputation of this collection. I’m glad I did.

Kill Me Softly is divided into two sections: Science Fiction & The Human Experience. Don’t be deceived by these titles, because there is every bit as much exploration of what it means to be human, or not, in the former as there is in the latter.

I enjoyed the rhyme schemes, which could be relied upon, and the word play, which was smart. Ruiz crafts poems about who we are as a species, but also who we wish we were. That’s where the extensive use of imagery and metaphor come in:

If he was sent back to the factory,
In a millisecond,
I'd be erased,
Reprogrammed,
He'd never remember my name,
Or even my face.

Humans yearn for the same things, despite how diverse we are in other ways: love, rebirth, hope, happiness. It’s in our science – our fiction – our DNA. Ruiz paints these themes into her poetry and doesn’t forsake the positive parts of life while depicting it honestly.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kill Me Softly and recommend making it your next read!

[Tom McCaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pay Attention To This Poet and You May Survive This Life

I loved everything about this collection of poems. The writing is strong, the topics engaging, and the poet amazingly open, accessible and resilient . There is joy, optimism, and intelligence mixed with devastating hardships that are overcome. I envy the men who evoked her passion and despise those who wronged her. But I come away from this voyage knowing that this young woman is a survivor and a damn fine poet. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in contemporary and topical poetry.

[Alan Nettleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this because of my interest in sci-fi, and the book starts with a wonderful collection of space-related themes. Somewhat surprisingly, it then moves on to poems on the human condition and love, which I found incredibly moving. Extremely well-written and touching.

I have found myself reading this many times (and some poems dozens of times). The author is extremely talented and after reading some of the raw emotional detail in the poems - I hope she is ok!!

Highly recommended for all!

[Mary Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching poetry

This book contains extremely heartfelt poetry that moves one's soul. Yearning for love, missing the city life, descriptions of other planets and space, plus more come together quite nicely. Five stars.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed reading this from Elena.