Happy Friday! Hubby and I are finally feeling human again after being down with our first spell of Covid. The last few weeks reminded me of a poem from my recent book. And even though I’ve shared it before, I feel it’s a good reminder for all of us. I hope you feel the same…
Life is like a package wrapped in festive paper. The matching ribbons fascinate in their delicate, entwined company, fingers gently unravel, heartbeats increase from excitement. We lift the lid, peek inside, letting our inner child frolic to the forefront of our minds.
But unlike recyclable paper, the gift of life cannot be tossed back into the universe. There is no spare awaiting on the sidelines, and we should be mindful that the contents require tenderness with instructions solely for each one of us individually, because as visible as a ruby rose in a garden of white daisies…
we are beautifully unique.
Once we follow these with gratitude and vivacity, the purpose of our gift will reveal itself as naturally as moonlight on a night darker than the deepest sea.
My latest collection of poetry – I prompt you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently. Please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude.💙🩵💙
And thank you for visiting today. Have a wonderful weekend! ❤️
More beautiful reviews have arrived for my latest book, Ever So Gently, and I couldn’t be happier! How can I not enjoy the view from Cloud 9 or dance like no one is watching! Or dance when anyone is watching! So, a Huge Thank you to my wonderful author friends, Smitha, Carol, and Abbie, for their lovely reviews. But most importantly, I feel gratitude in my heart because they truly enjoyed my new poetry collection. And now for the reviews:
I have longed to read this book of poems ever since I saw the cover and the book’s name, but mostly because I had read ‘More than Coffee’ by Lauren Scott and loved it. I was surprised to learn that the cover of this book, which is a beautiful shade of blue-green, had been painted by the poet’s son. It perfectly goes with the book title and the theme of the poems in the book. It also represents the poet’s kind and loving nature, which comes across repeatedly in all her writing. Lauren Scott’s poetry will help you find your bearings again if you’re in a quandary or feel lost. The poems are like a breath of fresh air. They will make you see things differently and appreciate things you have been taking for granted. Ever so gently comes with a relevant message- ‘To be gentle’ at all times in your actions and responses to situations and to those around you. Lauren Scott does a lovely job of packaging this message with beautiful imagery that will touch the heart. In Lauren’s words, “Ever So Gently expresses the gentle demeanor in which I welcome nature’s offerings. The gentle way in which I should react to life’s challenges.” She adds, “succeeding in ‘gentle’ may not happen around the clock, so if I slip up, I will try again.” Although the poems are autobiographical in nature, it is bound to strike a chord because Lauren Scott talks of experiences that all of us have experienced or will experience at some point in our lives- memories of childhood, growing up, finding love, death of parents, parenthood, sibling love, feelings of becoming an empty-nester, nature, love of and for a pet. There are around seventy-five odd poems of varying structures in the book that take you on a journey of the poet’s life and experiences and will leave you thinking of your own. The book is for everyone who wants to reboot and a great reminder to live better lives. I highly recommend this book.
I needed time to linger over and savor Lauren Scott’s poetry. This accessible collection of poems is divided into three parts: The Wisdom of Nature; The Noise, The Laughter, The Chaos, The Loved Ones; and Lost in Thought all evoking a wide spectrum of observations and memories. This is definitely a collection to be read and reread for its uplifting and thought-provoking ideas.
In this world where there is so much violence it is refreshing to read about the beauty of Nature and everyday experiences, as simple as it may be to wanting a new sofa. She uses her poetry to remind us to start our day smiling and to appreciate our aging bodies.
Pay Attention!
Much of her poetry is about recording her observations:
Can the sun slipping behinddowny clouds be more spectacular?
Lauren Scott shows that she is fearless in exposing her love, her joys, her sorrows and her dreams.
After reading More Than Coffee, I wanted to read more by this author. Ever So Gently didn’t disappoint me.
I like the variety of subject matter in this collection. Some poems are about nature while others are about humans. Some are light while others cover more serious topics.
Because I’m an animal lover, my favorite was “I Was Adopted,” which is written from the point of view of the author’s Labrador. “Lost Conversation with Dad” reminded me of losing my own father. I could relate to “When Life Throws Us Curveballs” and “We Find an Escape” and like the way she ends the collection on a hopeful note with the title poem, “Ever So Gently.”
The editor’s introduction at the beginning and the author’s acknowledgements at the end add a nice touch. Although this collection is short, the poems are meant to be read more than once and savored.
Gratitude fills my heart Radiant, energetic All aglow, and my feet Tap to the beat of joy, Inhaling excitement That resumes because of Unconditional support Dazzling from friends Ever So Gently! ~Lauren Scott 💜
My book is available on Amazon by clicking on the image. Thanks to you who have bought a copy! I hope you have enjoyed or are enjoying this personal collection. And if so, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review on Amazon – your thoughts can be elaborate or they can be short and sweet. I appreciate all! I can’t thank Smitha, Carol, and Abbie enough, and everyone who has reviewed my book on Amazon and Goodreads!
I am delighted to share that Spillwords Press has published my poem “Chilling Embrace” in their Featured Post section and is live today. It is a great honor to have my writing spotlighted on their site again, and to be in the company of so many talented authors.
Chilling Embrace
I have been embraced by the chilling presence of loneliness.
I have wondered where the niche designed for me exists in this world in which my breaths originate.
I have waited for the glow to emerge from behind the shadows...
I would love if you would hop on over to Spillwords and read the rest of the poem here. You don’t need to log in to give it a lovely ❤️, but you do need to if you’d like to leave a comment. And I do love comments, but either way, I would greatly appreciate your time and support. And just like another sunrise brings hope, your continued support brings new gratitude. 🙏🏻
Thank you again to Dagmara K. and her team for accepting my submission. I am thrilled and truly grateful!
“Chilling Embrace” is also in my latest collection of poetry…
My latest book – I prompt you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently. Please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude.💙🩵💙
Sometimes, she disappoints making me feel abandoned like a puppy in a box on the side of a country road. I feel lost like a planet spinning in an unfamiliar universe. Then as miracles would have it, I sense her presence… on the rocky trail beside me as I climb, splashing in a dewdrop on a maple leaf, drifting with downy clouds suspended in the baby blue sky. She relaxes on silky peach petals of the rose in the yard. She swoons in a song for the heart on the radio. She soars with the sun as it ascends over the vast autumn horizon, and lingers as it dips behind the golden summer hills. Silver ocean waves carry her as they gently roll in to kiss the shore. She is quite clever, living in the blessings and in unexpected tilts and turns never to abandon me, but even she needs respite on occasion, my muse.
My latest collection of poetry – I prompt you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently. Please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude.💙🩵💙
My latest collection of poetry – I prompt you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently. Please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude.💙🩵💙
Isolation could slide into a deafening-silence loneliness, Suppression of joy needing a breath of a gentle breeze, Or it could fashion new moments with love and Laughter even with a faint line of essential distance. Adapting to this unique state of ‘togetherness’ Takes time like slow healing of energy – it’s not the Ideal means of making postcard memories, but who needs Ordinary? For the both of us in these circumstances, there is Nothing like being comfort and company while isolating together!
letting inspiration in during Covid finding the silver lining finding the smiles
My latest collection of poetry – please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude. 💙
Pink lines dictate rules for the near future with Ominous news initially because of the unknown. Scattered thoughts from this positive result of what will unfold – Initiation after three and a half years of Taking care of self and counting six feet from others. Isolating from humans, but not from the warmth of nature. Variant, new, old, irrelevant – time to buckle down while Eager to enter into civilization once again.
A first time for everything, I suppose, and this is a first for hubby and me. It’s probably just as well we get Covid at the same time. But the worst part is over, fever and major fatigue. Now only mild symptoms that we have to plough through until we test negative. The sun is shining. The sky is bright and blue and lovely. We have our patio and backyard to visit nature and breathe in some fresh air. I think we’re both feeling a bit underwater from tasks needing our attention. But with low energy, we can’t push ourselves. We can only do so much before resting again. It is what it is. We just want to get better so we can enter society again, and we will. Patience.Rest. Patience. Rest.
Anyway, thank you for stopping by and stay well! This is the second lost weekend for us, so enjoy yours! Go outdoors and mingle with Nature! 🩷
My latest collection of poetry – please click on the link to purchase your copy. Thank you to those who have bought a copy and who have shared wonderful reviews. My heart is full of gratitude. 💙
I was knocked off my feet from a flu bug since last weekend and am now slowly returning to the land of the living. With fever and fatigue, sleep was my only activity, so I’m sorry for missing your posts, but I’m trying to catch up a bit. In the meantime, I’m also late in sharing another friend’s review of my book, Ever So Gently. Pooja is so kind and her blog, Lifesfinewhine, offers a variety of topics for her readers such as lifestyle, travel, mental health, beauty, blogging advice, six word stories, poetry and inspirational posts along with other occasional posts. She also offers multiple services, so if you haven’t met Pooja, please pay her a visit. You will be glad you did!
And now for Pooja’s detailed amazing review:
Ever So Gently By Lauren Scott Review:
I was first introduced to Lauren Scott’s writing when I followed her WordPress blog. Even though I was new to her blog, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. And I’m pretty sure I have read the vast majority of the blogs she has published since I followed her if not all the posts she has published since. A good number of her posts include poetry so I was used to her style of writing and knew that I enjoyed it. When I saw that she had published a poetry book recently, I was very excited to give it a read. And since I loved the book (spoiler alert lol!) I decided to share my review of Ever So Gently by Lauren Scott.
Overall Review
I generally like to start with what I liked about the book overall and then go into more detailed thoughts on it. As you must have guessed by now, Ever So Gently is a poetry book. And what I loved about the poems is that they were so vividly descriptive. The poems are inspired by the things around Lauren and her experiences. And her descriptions made me feel like I was there with her.
For the most part, her poems are quite light and beautiful. But some are darker and dive into darker themes. Although these poems are heavier, I still very much enjoyed them and found the emotionally raw poems to be really touching.
Ever So Gently is not trying to be like every other poetry book. It’s also not trying to be pretentious or trying too hard. It simply just is and as a reader I love that. There were moments I forgot I was reading because I got so into it and lost track of time. What was supposed to be a ten minute break turned into half an hour. And to me, that’s a sign of a great book and a great writer.
I rarely talk about book covers but I wanted to add that I really love the minimalistic book cover. I’m a big fan of minimalistic covers especially for poetry books. This one is so calming and it really captures what to expect from the book.
Specifics
My favourite poem from the book is called Unexpected. I don’t want to give away too much about the poem but it’s such an uplifting one. For those of you that know me, you know I suffer from depression and anxiety. This poem is about getting better and trying to see colour again when your life has been stained grey. Interestingly, I read it right before my therapy session as I waited outside my therapists office. The universe is funny like that sometimes. But I think that’s what made me really connect with the poem.
Even though I enjoyed all the poems, I think my favourite were actually the more heavy ones because they had so much emotion behind them. Such as “Things I Know, Believe, And Imagine.” I thought this poem was very relevant with how the world is at the moment. It’s a great reminder of how important love, acceptance, and kindness are in a world where we are so quick to turn to hate and violence.
Conclusion And Where To Buy “Ever So Gently”
Overall, Ever So Gently by Lauren Scott is a book I think is a must read. It’s really so well written that I think everyone would find it enjoyable and easy to follow even if you are not particularly a poetry fan. I would say this book can be enjoyed by both poetry lovers and those that don’t generally read poetry. The poems are largely uplifting but are still quite thought provoking and draw a lot of emotions from the reader. If you’re not sure what to read next or are looking for something to read, do consider this book. It won’t let you down.
You can find Ever So Gently By Lauren Scott on Amazon.
Thanks again, Pooja, for this amazing and thoughtful review of my book. To say that I’m grateful doesn’t justify how I feel, knowing the positive affect my poems had on you. ❤️ Click here to read Pooja’s post.
Please know that not all reviews of my book are on Amazon or Goodreads, so you can click here to visit my page for updates. Also, if you have read my book and were as touched by the collection as Pooja, please consider sharing your review. They are like hugs for Indie Authors, and who doesn’t like a hug? 🙂
Fun fact: My son offered to create the cover, but instead of doing it digitally, he painted it on canvas (a surprise to me) using colors I requested. I wanted minimalistic and gentle for this book and I’m so happy with the outcome.
Thank you for stopping by, and thanks to you who have bought my book! I hope you enjoy this collection where I prompt you to reminisce and reflect upon your past, present, and future. And what matters most is to love and live ever so gently.
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 