New Reviews for Eden Redefined by Christine Bode

April is National Poetry Month, and I would be remiss if I didn’t share some recent reviews for my latest book of poetry, Eden Redefined. I’m finally receiving reviews from those who have taken the time to read my book and leave me five-star reviews on Amazon. I must say, it feels good.

For just a moment last week, Eden Redefined reached the Top 100 in the Kindle Store for Canadian Poetry and Contemporary Poetry, coming in at #62 and #67, respectively. To see my book in the same group as poetry by Leonard Cohen and Mary Oliver was a rush! I hope to see it reach even higher in the future, and I can with your help. So if you purchased a copy of Eden Redefined and haven’t yet left a review on Amazon, please do, as it means the world to me, and it could help my book become a best seller.

New Reviews for Eden Redefined

“If you’re looking for a book that tackles life’s most complex emotions and experiences with raw honesty, then Eden Redefined by Christine Bode is the book for you.” ~ Brett G.

“We all have our dark times as life is an unsolvable riddle for most. This collection is down to earth, and I feel anyone can relate to the ups and downs life offers up to us all. We all need to be grateful for what we do have and be kind to others, such as the author, because we all face demons, but together we can lift each other’s spirits.” ~ Patrick McKenna

“The book had a mixture of compassion, humour, and intimacy.” ~ Brock7

“If you’re wondering whether this poetry collection is worth reading, please give me a moment to shout from the rooftops, YES!

This isn’t just a book of poetry; it’s an experience.

Somewhere between laughter and crying while reading this, my heart broke and mended and was fortified by the message within these pages. Christine has an extraordinary way with words and paints vivid pictures in your mind. I couldn’t put the book down.” ~ Whitney Aumack

“Christine Bode has eloquently put herself out there for all the world to see in this raw, emotional collection of poems and prose. We need more people like her, who are not afraid to be human, showing our weaknesses. As I read the poetry, I could see Christine learning life lessons that have helped her to become the strong, independent woman she is today. Congratulations on a job well done!” ~ Lynn Rae

Here are some terrific poetry collections that I’ve read recently:

EROica by William F. DeVault

To Daughter a Devil by Mary Megan Moore

Multifarious Dimensions of Meh by Eric Montgomery

Confessions Under Cratered Moons: Poetry of Cosmic Chaos by Whitney Aumack

Please share the best poetry you’ve read recently with me in the comments. I’m always looking for exciting new work.

Happy National Poetry Month!

“The Glorious Sun” by Christine Bode

Poetry

The Glorious Sun

A poem by ©Christine Bode 2019

Ahh, the glorious sun!
From the land of lucid dreaming 
I wake, 
stretch,
throw off the covers and
greet my dog
who lies beneath me beside the bed.

Drawing the curtains,
I welcome a new day,
always more cherished when the sun is glorious 
shining through the cloudy thoughts of
mistakes I’ve made. 
The wrong men I’ve given my heart to, 
how stuck I feel in this life—lost more than found,
and how much I miss my sister.

Waking thoughts that are as reliable 
as the chubby squirrels 
who continue to forage for food 
on the pathway behind the 
Bowling Greens, 
those all-weather rodents who
just go on with their lives 
and never let the weather 
get them down.

When the sun shines in winter, it casts its rays of hope, 
offering strength for perseverance, motivation,
to endure another dark night of the soul.
So, I’ll be here to bear witness 
to the perfect beauty of the lavender crocus 
as she peeks through the cold, hard ground 
with her saffron eye and turns her face
towards that glorious sun, 
a symbol of courage 
as we both face a new day.

Happy World Poetry Day! Read this poem and more by Christine Bode in her latest collection, Eden Redefined.

Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $9.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $2.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

To Daughter a Devil by Megan Mary Moore

Poetry Book Review

Title: To Daughter a Devil
Author:  Megan Mary Moore
Publisher: Unsolicited Press
Released: January 3, 2023
Pages: 98
ISBN: 978-1956692518
Stars: 5.0

To Daughter a Devil by American poet Megan Mary Moore is one of the fiercest, most visceral books of poetry I have ever read written by a woman. Inspired by classic horror movies like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby and the archetypal horror of being a female, from the Devil within to every devil we face, she has created a cohesive narrative of dark poetic perfection all women should read. I learned what a bezoar is. I had no idea. Moore writes poems about things that scare her, and they will scare you too.

She reveals the secret fears of all mothers of daughters, reminisces about seeing JonBenet Ramsay’s photo at a supermarket tabloid stand, what it is to be a bad seed, and how using a tampon must feel to the prepubescent. Moore also asks thought-provoking questions and covers everything about being a female child, from just knowing she was born bad to one burned as a witch and to the Enfield poltergeist, with such intelligence, insight, and courage that it has blown me away.

Her fascination with death, morbidity and natural and supernatural afflictions women face is just the kind of phantasmagoric poetry that captivates my imagination. I wish I could write something half as clever. “If Gregor Samsa Was a Girl” was simply brilliant. By the time I read “Our Love is a Two-Headed Calf, “If Swan Lake Had a Happy Ending,” “Madame Tussaud Makes a Death Mask of Marie Antoinette in Madeleine Cemetery,” “Eulogy for the Doe on the Side of State Road 128,” and “Snow White Receives a DM from Dopey,” I had goosebumps and was sighing aloud over how damn good Moore’s work is. I cannot wait to read more of her work.

It shows that Megan Mary Moore holds an MFA in poetry from Miami University. Her work has been published in numerous poetry outlets, magazines, and reviews. To Daughter a Devil was published by Unsolicited Press out of Portland, Oregon—a press I will watch.

“Born Under a Bad Sign” by Christine Bode

Poetry

Born Under a Bad Sign

A poem by ©Christine Bode 2023

At the top of your business trade, pre-pandemic
Now you’re back at the beginning while inflation is endemic

Starting over now when most folks think about retiring
Feeling sorry for yourself is so ridiculously tiring

There’s nothing you can do about happenstance
Bank account screams six dollars and ninety-four cents

Coulda, shoulda, woulda, there’s no going back
No matter how hard you try, there’s always something you lack

A thousand things to learn, another thousand things to do
And no one is gonna feel sorry for you

You’ll work every weekday, weekend and holiday too
And one day, you’ll have enough to buy those new shoes

Just fake it ‘til you make it; if everyone does it, it’s no lie
Eventually, you’ll get there, so don’t take the time to cry

You’ll work until noon on the day that you die
‘Cause you’re born under a bad sign, with a new moon in the sky