Before and After the Storm Series

flowers by mistake   Poetic thoughts for self-care, self-confidence and self-love A woman receives a bouquet of flowers that wasn't meant for her and keeps it, discovers a secret in the smoke of a cigarette, travels inside her body to wonder who she really is, deciphers her heartbeat as Morse code, and discovers the beauty hidden in the roots of the earth. Like sparks of stories, these poems by Natalie Blunt are a healing balm. Flowers by mistake is a carousel of contradictory emotions written with delicacy, melancholy and a bit of humor. Her insightful verses delve into the secret life of women. They are songs about love, loneliness, betrayal, motherhood, pain, melancholy, the passing of time, memories and the joy of everyday life. Each of her poems is a reminder of self-care, personal growth and self-love. Excerpts from the printed edition: Beauty is a matter of faith not a matter of fact. * * * Plants also grow downward, their roots sink into the dark earth. Neither earthworms nor blind moles can admire this secret and rare beauty. It doesn't matter in which direction you decide to grow. Expand as you like hide yourself if you prefer, grow as much as you wish, the sky is vast, but so are the depths of the earth. * * * All bodies have scars. Not all of them are easily noticeable. Some are hidden, others are too tiny for the eye to see. Our entire body is a scar, from the day we were born. The smoothest skin has tiny scars, because we have all been wounded, sometimes without even being aware of it, without knowing who is responsible. Here is the list, still in progress, of the usual suspects: ourselves those we love the most the merciless time. * * * I would look at myself as if I was seeing myself for the first time, with a certain surprise. I would touch my face as if I were blind, as if I wanted to learn to recognize myself not by the sense of sight but by the sense of touch. * * * From time to time tell yourself all the wonderful things you deserve. Don't stop congratulating yourself even for the smallest things. Finishing the day is one of them. Even praise yourself if you haven't done what others expected of you, what you were supposed to do. The days when you feel you have failed in the worst way are when you should be most proud of yourself. Content protected by copyright laws ©. * * * If you enjoy the poetry of Rupi Kaur, Yung Pueblo, Olivia Gatwood, Sabrina Benaim, Michaela Angemeer, Wisława Szymborska, Zara Bas, Sylvia Plath and Sara Sheehan be sure you will love this book.