Courageous Convictions

By Angie Kesler

Know that you are not alone in this crazy world! We all need an outlet; an escape or a listening ear from time to time. This book of poetry is one that everyone can relate to. We all struggle, and yet...we rise! This is a poetry anthology that makes you know you are alive!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AK Publishing
• Release date: Mar 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393482789

Angie Kesler

Angie Kesler is an author who believes in the therapeutic properties of writing. She began writing at a young age as a way to express her emotions and communicate with those closest to her. Angie is an English teacher whose background in writing and literature lends to her process of putting her truth on paper. Her first book, “Courageous Convictions” is a collection of poems that exude heartfelt emotion and relatability.  Angie has written “Always Second Best” as a fervent follow up to her first publication. Angie is a wife and a mother of three, and lives in St. Louis, Missouri.   

Book preview

ALL THAT REMAINS

––––––––

We talk, we talk in circles.

Repetition doesn't fix broken.

We walk, we walk the same path.

But the steps lead nowhere.

We love, we love whole-heartedly.

Yet the heart remains scarred.

We bleed, we bleed for truth,

Trusting in the unknown.

We hope, we hope for a new beginning,

Because hope is all that remains.

EMPATHY

You don't need to stand on the mountaintop

To understand the awe of the valley

You don't have to hang from tree branches

To star gaze

You don't have to dig a grave

To know the pain of losing someone

You don't have to play an instrument

To feel the passion of the music

Just as...

You don't have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes

To know we all bleed the same

You just have to love them with all of your heart.

IT MATTERS

Sometimes it matters

-that look on your face

Sometimes it matters

-that empty space

Sometimes it matters

-those words that seep out

Sometimes it matters

-those thoughts of pure doubt

LINGERING

In the shadows

IMPINGING

Life´s particles

LEAVING

Pieces of me

BEHIND

STUCK

He consumed me whole

Then spit me out

Piece by piece

But not completely

He retained just a few small,

But crucial pieces

Of my heart

Just enough to keep me

From giving myself

Fully to another

Just enough to know

I could not move

On without him

Then he gnawed on them

From time to time

Keeping our hearts

Intertwined

And I let him-

Because even though it hurt,

It kept him a little bit closer.

STARTING OVER

Putting my heart on the line,

And my faith in God

Taking one breath at a time

Releasing negative thoughts from my mind.

Igniting the passion

Consuming all doubts,

Knowing risks must be taken

Somewhere, somehow.

Keeping honesty foremost

Excluding lies from all words

Sacrificing each moment,

While leaning into the curves.

Exploring the body

And all it entails

Reaffirming hope

That

Reviews for Courageous Convictions

[Angela Askew-Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very relatable! A must read for poetry lovers. Real experiences for real people!