Silent Scream
By J.M. Morgan
Independently Published
2021
147 pages
$9.99 Paperback ISBN -13: 978-1737525004
Book reviewed by Kavita Khajuria
TW: Domestic violence, abuse, self-harm.
“tears writing themselves, persevering through tears”
This chapbook of poetry conveys agonized repression with tortured emotional pain amidst glimmers of insight, solace and relief – yet “faking it”…”feigning happiness”. Fantasy for closeness and safety unleash yearnings for escape. One hears of the trials and tribulations of constant moves, flashbacks, reflections on body image, and the struggle for sanity – with moments of powerlessness, loss of voice and a questioning of meaning and purpose. Effects of childhood abuse translate as riveting and heartbreaking, and may compel one to consider the power of words. Tones convey as tormented “broken, but whole”, with progressions to romantic captivation, exposure anxiety, and with thoughtful reflections on self-image, depression, and masks. A lure of self injury and thoughts on treatment strike as candid and frank. Concluding tones convey power and a demand and to be heard that many evoke applaud from the reader.
Serotonin 