Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent

by Michaela Belmont

Each one of us contains an endless universe inside, spanning infinity. We hold expansive landscapes within us, from forests to deserts to boundless, ancient oceans. Fantastic, alien planets circling far-flung suns. We are unlimited in our potential, the depth of our emotions, and the complexity of our thoughts. Completely unlimited in the worlds that we carry inside.

Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent is an expedition to discover all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you can become. But like all such endeavors it is only a foray, a whimsical venturing on a summer afternoon. You won't find all the answers in a day, or in a page, or in a hundred pages.

This journey will never end.

Genres: Poetry

120 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2022

Reviews

[Savera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving collection of poems that follows the ebbs and flows of Michaela Belmont's journey from trauma to healing.

Fittingly, the book begins with an uplifting preface; setting the stage for an open, honest look at how trauma can inspire one to create art that could lead others through dark times.

I was genuinely moved by many of the poems. Some were quite autobiographical in their descriptions of relationships and betrayals. I felt the catharsis in "Erupted", "Flock of Butterflies", and "One of my Harshest Teachers", as well as the heartbreak in "Father's Day" and "Luminescent Flower".

The title poem is deeply emotional. Feelings of despair are stripped down, while the desire for acknowledgment is clear.

The poems don't all follow the same format, which I loved. There was an organic flow to each of the five sections.

Belmont has a wonderful ability to describe fragility and despair, as well as raw, unfiltered pain, but ultimately her work contains a thread of hope throughout which cannot be ignored.

Many thanks to Booktasters and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

we all have emptiness inside us. we all have a vast universe inside us. we all have something to feel for. this collection if poems made me realise that.
these poems are not in a regular format .but it tells about yearning, solitude ,inner peace..

this is a journey from broken to healing.

loved it.

[a•w•d•y · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems are beautiful and HEARTFELT! You can tell that the writer wrote from her heart and you can also feel what she felt while writing. I think this is the essence of writing; when your readers can feel what you felt while writing.

This is a piece of art I think everyone should read!

[Dimitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of poetry but i enjoyed this. I liked the variety of perspectives and themes. It was refreshing and light, easy to read and true.
It was like a deep breath near the sea.

[Chris Maddix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have known folks like Michaela Belmont, emotional folks who see their lives not through events, but through the highs and lows of feelings. The way we live our lives, rather than the things we accomplish, are what's important. Here's a taste of her perspective, taken from the forward:

But what I have found to be the most important is what kind of people
we are while we are doing these things. It is the integrity, compassion, and
wisdom with which we move through this world that matters most.
Advanced human-esque robots, the colonization of other planets, and cities
that hang in the sky are without merit if it is a callous, cruel, and senseless
society that builds them.

Ms. Belmont has clearly been through an emotional roller coaster, but she is resolvedly positive:

The beautiful truth revealed, the blissful panacea, the ultimate relief, is
this: it is never too late for your life to start. The one you really wanted. No
matter the agonies to which you have been subjected, your soul and the light
within you are stronger.

Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent is a book of poetry, divided into five sections. The first, Gold and Blue Flowers in the Meadow, focuses primarily on seeing the positive. The second, Melancholia, describes hitting bottom and conjectures how to recover. Here's my favorite from this second section:

Father’s Day
I was weeping on the bathroom floor again today.
I’ll be thirty in September, though for the past hour I was two.
Those howling animal sounds, inhuman, grieving,
muffled as best they could be
by my hands so tired of carrying
everything.
“Please take care of me,” I sobbed to a father long since gone,
who humiliated and betrayed me and got away with it all.
“Please take care of me.”
And as the wailing sounds of loss filled up past my throat,
and as my head pounded with grief almost three decades old,
as I spun out of control across space and across time,
I thought:
‘This is a part of me that needs to die.
It’s time.’

The next two sections describe where it all came from, the good and the bad, and the final section, Of Storms and the Sea, is about recovery.

It's interesting to meet folks who are in touch with their emotions, don't you think?

[Chinemerem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the privilege of reading and reviewing 'Pressed Flowers and Sea Serpents' by the booktasters in July, but I must admit that I hadn't been able to venture beyond the opening letter until recently. To be honest, I wasn't even aware that it was a collection of short poetry. But once I finally dived in, I was captivated by the beauty and depth of the words.

Reading this book was akin to peeling an onion - layer by layer, it revealed emotions and thoughts that I had previously struggled to articulate. But instead of shedding sad tears, I found myself overcome with happy tears of recognition and connection. The poems spoke directly to my soul, giving voice to feelings I had long harbored but couldn't express.

I was deeply moved by the way the author wove words into poignant and powerful expressions of the human experience. Each poem was a masterful capture of emotions, thoughts, and moments that resonated deeply within me. I loved every single poem and wished that everyone could experience the beauty and magic of this collection.

'Pressed Flowers and Sea Serpents' is more than just a book - it's an emotional journey, a cathartic experience, and a reminder of the power of words to touch our hearts and minds.

[Nesreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Special Thanks to Booktasters and Michaela Belmont for giving me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Rating 3/5
"Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent" by Michaela Belmont is a captivating collection of poetry that delves into the profound theme of outgrowing past trauma. With its dark undertones and fast-paced narrative, Belmont takes readers on an emotional journey that is as thought-provoking as it is engaging. The book opens a window into the complex human experience of overcoming deep-rooted pain. Belmont's words are raw, evocative, and unapologetic, capturing the essence of the turbulent emotions that accompany the process of healing. Through her skillful use of language and imagery, she paints vivid scenes that transport readers into the depths of the human psyche. While "Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent" explores dark themes, it never loses its allure.

[AISYAH NASIR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pressed Flower and the Sea Serpent by Michaela Belmont is a poetry book. It features a collection of poems which explore themes of nature, emotion, and personal growth. The author used vivid imagery and metaphor to convey deep feelings.

The poems are all interconnected and they describe a story of a young protagonist who is on a journey filled with self-discovery. It is indeed a different way of a story telling as it necessitates people to use their imagination more.

However, one may find it challenging to understand certain poetry due to their clarity and ambiguity. It might distract readers and ruin the enjoyment.

Nonetheless, I still think it is enjoyable and a good read.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s one thing to take your pain and use it to make art. It’s another thing entirely to take that pain and use it show other flickering souls what’s possible on the other side.

This collection of poems foams and churns with rebirth and renewal and genuinely captures the human experience, in all of its intricacies.

Thank you to Booktasters and Michaela Belmont for providing me with a copy of Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent in exchange for an honest review.

[Mirela Lohja · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's truly special when an author's work can make you feel understood and less alone in your thoughts and emotions. The organic flow of the poems and the thread of hope running through them have made the reading experience even more powerful for me.It's wonderful to hear how much the book and how it resonated for me on such a personal level.
Really recommend. I will never forget a book like this one!!

[Chacha Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not easy to put feelings into words, and yet Michalea did it effortlessly in most of her poems. Her poems manage to capture a reader's heartbeat with every sentence, and I believe that's what made them such powerful reads.

I would recommend this book to my book club a million times over!

It was just amazing! Full of bliss!

[Summer Hong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried when reading the book since I also went through abuse and trauma. I understand deeply about the pain. And the process of healing is full of struggles too.
I haven’t read poems for many years and I felt wonderful when the writer used poems to reveal her journey. The poems softened my heart again. It’s a great book.

[Brenda Hermes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heartfelt poetry collection was recommended to me by Booktasters, the feelings are deep, raw, and complex and were beautifully expressed by the author, so flexible depicting a variety of perspectives in each of the poems. I could feel she described feelings I've felt before as if my soul was narrating it, definitely enjoyed this collection of poems.

[Jamila Danhassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trauma. Healing. Pain. Self Love. Fantasy.

A touching collection of poems. Even the forward had me crying. I could feel the pain and the long, arduous part to healing.

A spectacular read.

Thank you, Booktasters, for giving me the chance to review this book.

[Lay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really spoke out to me, I don't usually read poetry but decided as a new switch for a while. It was so beautiful. The poems how they were written and how they were later showed the growth and the beauty of the things described. I really enjoyed this book.

[Hailey Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not really the biggest poetry book person ever. But I really enjoyed reading this. It was a nice and easy read and only took me about two hours to finish. The poems were really well written and easy to understand.

[Amelia Cortez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not something I’d normally go for, but the summary was interesting and it’s a 100% accurate summary. Once you get past the poem about the cat (that one felt forced), this is an amazing and heartfelt collection of poems. It was quite relatable and it had me crying at times.

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but a little dark. Different from poetry written long ago.

[nana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don’t read poems, but I like these ones. Like the story she’s telling us, how she’s expressing herself to us, I enjoyed that, didn’t feel boring nor a bad overwhelming. congrats!!!

[Mariam Luqman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice and varied collection. It has lots of silver linings (many implied) and a comfortable acceptance of the darkness we can have within us or that we go through.

[Reading with Ren🍒📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.75 stars, rounded up**

Poetry is definitely out of my comfort zone, which is why I chose to read this book. And what a good decision that was!

These series of poems were not only easy to comprehend for a poetry newbie like me, but they still managed to be reflective and make me ponder as I read them.

There were several times that I had to stop and think about what I just read because it hit so close to home.

There are some great messages in this book of poems and I definitely took notes to save and revisit in the future.

[sophthefirst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not usually a poetry fan. Most collections I've read are too slow and hard to understand. But I thought I'd give "Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent" a try, and I'm glad I did. The poems in this collection are fast-paced and easy to understand. They're also emotional and some of them really spoke to me. Thanks to BookTasters for letting me read this book.

[Haripriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical and atmospheric read, Pressed Flowers and the Sea Serpent by Michaela Belmont was an unexpected surprise. I don’t usually seek out poetry or highly poetic prose, but the dreamlike imagery and fairytale-like quality of the writing immediately stood out.

The book thrives on its atmosphere, with passages that feel both whimsical and haunting. While the pacing occasionally slowed and I sometimes wished the characters and story had been more grounded, the beauty of Belmont’s language carried me through.

What stayed with me was not the plot itself, but the mood, a lingering, almost otherworldly quality that makes the reading experience memorable. Belmont has a real gift for crafting scenes that feel fragile yet enchanting.

For readers drawn to whimsical, poetic storytelling, this is a book worth exploring. Even as someone who doesn’t often gravitate toward this style, I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Thanks to Booktasters and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!!