The Unravelled Heart Book Review
By Realistic Poetry International
Author Kathy Parker’s The Unravelled Heart inspires us, instantly, with a heartfelt, well-written and encouraging introduction that is honest, wise and extremely helpful to others with its gentle and peaceful explanation of how and why this book is so meaningful to not only herself, but also to many others who bear a resemblance to the reflection of the girl she once was.
Broken into different segments, the first category, “On Breaking Wide Open,” begins with the poem entitled, “Unravelling,” an in-depth, introspective and intimate poem that tackles the harsh reality of important subjects such as low self-esteem, abuse, neglect, and peer pressure from an expressive third person’s perspective.
We respect the Author for using herself as an example in this book, and poem, as she is beautifully courageous and influential for using her words and poetry to bring awareness to some of the everyday societal and personal struggles and adversities many women of all ages from all around the world deal with, silently, and alone in the steepness of the quiet.
The girl, striving for a false-perfection, severely infected by the superficiality of a promiscuous conformity, attempts to live and uphold a painful façade that appears to be just enough to help her, to the least, feel accepted, possibly that is, until she discovers a dreadful, life-changing reality; love can look a lot like abuse. Which just so happens to be the name of the second poem featured under this category, and its incredibly harrowing message is undoubtedly piercing to the soul.
Using intense vivid analogies such as “…you once loved a boy who slit open your wrists with his razor-blade tongue,” and “He stitched up your wounds. With rusted barbed wire thread. As if love was ever meant to feel like shredded skin,” Parker illustrates a candid truth that is literally haunting to imagine, let alone personally experience in real-life. It is an epic piece that has a sombrous dramatic appeal with the ability to affect and impact lives as the narrator clearly differentiates the characteristics of ‘real love,’ from that of merely a false imitation or warped version of it.
Its content speaks directly to all those who have ever been a victim of domestic violence, left to bear the scars, bruises and wounds on the body and heart.
At one point in the book the narrator even characterizes the role of the vicious predator, the abuser, as a gluttonous raven hunting hearts, saying “Like a raven, he picks the flesh from your bones,” prewarning other women of the damage and injury this type of man can cause to your life.
She concludes this poem saying, “Dear woman, it takes more than a scavenger to unearth the incomparable richness that lies beneath your skin,” discouraging the unhealthy cycle and trend of abuse, misuse, exploitation, manipulation and twisted love while simultaneously educating the reader from an experienced and knowledgeable standpoint. The featured poem “Nicotine Love” is a verbally graphic and evocative piece that specifically amplifies this type of “toxic love” in pure HD as Author Parker efficiently exemplifies the visual of how abuse affects the internal and external saying, “I am incinerated bones and a blackened heart,” casually admitting the tremendous suffering she undergoes, emotionally and physically, as she is deprived of real love, compassion and support.
When we transition into the second section of the book, “On Barely Surviving,” poems such as “To Darkness” appear to symbolize a cold state of depression as an almost colorless soul attempts to regain what was lost. But as most of us already know, this is much easier said than done. There is a verse at the end of this poem that incites a slither of hope saying, “Her grief-soaked heart lies in silent hope that one day someone will pull her from the water and gently wring the sadness from her bones.”
As chilling as it may sound, there is a light that comes from her desire to overcome a painful, distressing history. And according to the following section, “On Beginning to Mend,” our intuition is correct!
Healing, growth and recovery are the high-points of this particular segment and we are left utterly speechless, nearly in tears, after reading the featured piece entitled, “Survival.” Written in a lovely prose style, this prolific motivational statement of encouragement is beyond nourishing to the soul and heart! Like soothing aloe or some other magical invigorating remedy, she arranges the perfect set of words to help begin to restore the feeble, disheartened and broken ones who wallow, miserably, in a black ocean of hopelessness. Parker meets the reader from two separate but united angles in this piece; first, as someone who understands the pain and adversity of an unhealthy relationship, and on the other hand, as a person who has actually overcome, making her persuasive and convincing.
Our favorite verse from this featured piece says; “And if the light grows weak and the words fade before your eyes I will say them out loud and the letters will fall from my mouth and form a bridge that will lead you back to yourself once more.” By this, we see the true heroic heart of a leader and role model with the power to help save lives and make a difference, which is simply outstanding!
The last two sections of this amazing book, “On Learning to Love Again,” and “On Finding the Courage to Rise,’ seal the Author’s valiant testimony with bonafide confidence and positive reassurance in a successful future and self through victorious poems such as “The Reclaiming,” “Unapologetic,” “Inadequate,” “Courage to Fly,” and last but certainly not least, “We Build Bridges Across the Ravine,” a special poem that celebrates and rejoices in the restoration of a genuine love in her life that is patient, compassionate, concerned, gentle, understanding, affectionate and healing.
This poem and some others like it prove and provide great examples of the buoyancy of the heart and outstanding resilience of the spirit which can go a long way for so many people eager for inspiration, in hopes to believe and trust in the idea of love once more.
Emotional and real, this book is one that can help revive, refine and reassure, as each poem reminds us that we are more than our past and to never give up on ourselves or our future.
We are pleased to present this book with a 5-star rating and will be certainly adding this to our list of favorites!
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Fantastic, Author Kathy Parker! The poetry world certainly needs more writers like you, changing lives and the world by the power of words.