Bellyache - by Brianna Pastor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the author of Good Grief, an intimate collection of poems and prose which offers a glimpse into the mind of a highly sensitive person, or empath.

In a world that has become increasingly difficult to navigate--physically, mentally, and spiritually--having empathy is more important than ever. But what if you have a highly sensitive mind? Highly sensitive people, known as empaths, have an expanded capacity to feel not only one set of emotions but also those of others. They experience life more deeply than the average person, leaving them more susceptible to nervous system dysregulation, emotional trauma, and abuse.

Divided into three parts--Body, Mind, and Soul--Brianna Pastor's intimate collection of poems invites us to explore what it's like to discover high sensitivity in adulthood and view life through an empathetic lens. Hopefully, by deepening our understanding of sensitivity and how it affects others, we can move one step closer to a more connected, healed world.

I have a bellyache

from constantly absorbing

all this pain.

I'd ask you to refrain from telling me,

but your eyes already have.

Review Quotes

"Brianna Pastor is by far one of my favorite new writers." - yung pueblo, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"When you read Brianna Pastor's words, it's like looking into a mirror." - Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls and author of I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes To Invisible People

"Brianna's words are a gift to the world. She speaks to the hurting place in us all with great compassion and, through her incredible artistic vulnerability, helps us heal, feel seen, and believe there is light on the other side of darkness." - Cory Allen, author of Brave New You

"Brianna's voice is one that speaks for all of us who have struggled, loved, lost, and picked ourselves back up again. Her poems wield a fierce and yet tender power, like tiny fires that light our darkest nights and bouquets of flowers that beg us to find beauty in this life." - Emory Hall, author of Made of Rivers

"Brianna's poetry and prose are the balm we deeply feeling folk need to navigate a world that would love to see us hardened. Yet her words invite us to stay soft and to remember that our tenderness is not weakness but something sacred to celebrate and honor." - Arielle Estoria, poet, actor, and author of The Unfolding