I read this at work in-between freaking out over Mother's Day meals and unruly customers. 

I am so glad I picked up this poetry book, filled with feminism and the story of someone who continues to fight what was done to her and others- and everyone whose ever been hurt. 

This includes mentions of rape, anorexia, depression and other depictions of mental illness. 

This was beautiful, and as a victim and aspiring survivor of assault.... These feelings were real and genuine and so full of... Something I can't describe. 

Every poem was a soft blanket around my chest, even the ones that brought back horrible memories or trauma, or the ones that made me stop and think, "What should I be doing differently?"

This book made me think and want to change and for that I'm grateful. 

We need more voices. We need people to speak up. We need women. 

This is a place to start. I recommend this to anyone who is in the right mindset to. Take care of yourself, but if you're okay, definitely listen. 

This is important. And im incredibly happy I picked it up. I adored several of these poems.

Eating disorder, sexual assault, sexuality, mental health and living within patriarchal society/rape culture - hard subjects, bravely, beautifully and forcefully tackled through spoken word/slam poetry....which also works well in written form. A difficult but important read in a format that will especially appeal to younger readers/listeners. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

very easy to understand what you read, unlike some other similar books!

Content which you can read easy, fast and totally relatable!!

Pick it up, definitely worth the while!

After so long I've read works that made my spine shiver. Every poem introduced you to truth and then to the various versions of those truths.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has a strong stomach and enjoys poems that make you think.

If My Body Could Speak deals with important but sensitive subject matter including; eating disorders, sexual assault, feminism and sexuality. I especially connected with the poems on eating disorders. It was interesting to read from the perspective of someone who goes from overweight to underweight. It’s sadly true that eating disorder sufferers in that situation are seen as a success story. No one thinks for one second they may have developed a problem or that they need some help. 

Some of my favourite quotes from this collection are; 
“We understood the many ways a mother’s shame can haunt a daughter’s body.” 

“I imagined I was on an island, living off the grid in the body of a girl graced with the gift of not needing to need.” 

“Watch me build an empire from the ashes of everything that tried to destroy me.” 

I connected with this poetry collection with my whole heart and I am so excited to read more of this authors work.

In this collection of poems the main themes are eating disorders, anorexia and rape and the culture surrounding it. There are also poems relating to sexuality, self worth and image as well as the usual self doubts being raised too.



Utterly raw and relatable we can feel the emotion seen between the lines of each poem and I found so many of them relatable especially the ones focusing on Anorexia as I too have suffered in the past it was a true collection of heartfelt work.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I must admit that I read this book in several sittings because it was so stark and deep that I needed time to process.  Women like Blythe Baird are the voice of a new generation and I cannot wait to recommend this book to friends, family, patrons, and anyone that will listen to my praise.

Big TW for rape/sexual assault,anorexia/eating disorders and homophobia 

**This was an advanced reading copy from NetGalley for an honest review**

Wow…. is the only word that really comes to mind right now. In the first 12 pages i was already crying bc you can feel the emotion in her words in “When The Fat Girl Gets Skinny”and really the emotions and passion in her words throughout the whole book. This book was very powerful and has inspired to try and love myself more . I have only ever read one other thing something that has really resonated me when it come to having an eating disorder but this has really just hit the spot on that aspect of the book. Her writing style is amazing and I can't wait to get a physical copy!

Generally a good collection but there were a few poems that soured my experience with this book. I think Blythe is insanely talented, but she also actively ignores the impact her words can have on other women in society, especially queer women.

I am truly in love with this collection, I was gifted a copy of this by the author and publisher and wow I am glad I was. It's rare that a book speaks so clearly to you. I don't think I've felt that way since reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath in university - one of my favourite books of all time. Blythe Baird is a poet to watch, she not only bares her soul but there is also a beauty when she is describing things that are difficult.

I did not enjoy this very much, it was really boring and I almost put it down several. times. Despite the heavy subject matter it didn't feel very compelling. Maybe I was just expecting something else when I read the description.

Interesting and important subject. Well paced and connected with. Great read! Will post shortly on blog

This was a relatable read, bodies are up and down. Love and hate relationships with them and this book showed that.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.   Thank you Netgalley. 

fantastic book.        i'd definitely read other books by this author.

If your body could speak….

Would she forgive you?

I have a hard time with modern and/or spoken poetry as a whole. I much prefer the floral and flowing styles of Byron or Browning, but every now and again I find something that strikes me right in the gut. If your body could speak, would she forgive you? And the answer is, I don’t know. 

If My Body Could Speak is a collection of poetry by Blythe Baird (her name is what piqued my interest in the first place…. it’s beautiful) exploring eating disorders/mental illness, rape/rape culture, surviving, feminism, homosexuality, and the patriarchy. It’s obvious Blythe uses poetry as a form of catharsis, but it is difficult to read at times. But, I suppose that is part of the point – to take something hidden and expose it. To realize it is not your shame to bear. To take up space even when you are told not to. 

I realized after reading one of the poems that I had heard it before. After looking her up, it turns out I have seen videos of Blythe at slams (reminder to look up why it is called a slam). I don’t know that I would say I enjoyed the book, but it made me think. And that I do enjoy. So, if you are interested in modern or spoken poetry, I would recommend giving this one a chance. 

***I received this book for free, from Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review***

IF YOUR BODY COULD SPEAK
would she
forgive you? 

For me, there's two way i can like a poetry book : either i will fall in love with the writing style and the rythm, or the topics addressed will resonnate with me and my experiences. With If my body could speak, it was more of the second way, and many poems in the collection were extremely relatable for me and my life experience. If not, they were nonetheless touching and even heart-breaking. Blythe Baird knows how to write poems. She seems to be able to put into words what she experiences and thinks, she turns her life into poetry and uses it as a weapon or as medicine - but in a healthy and beatiful, touching way. It turns out in intense, powerful poems that will find their way straight to your heart. 

I wasn't totally in love with the writing style but i found that reading the poem out loud made them even more powerful, and i think the author wrote some more as slam poetry than written poetry, meant to be spoken and not only read. 

I'm happy i discovered this brave women's work and cannot wait for another collection to come out. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me the ebook.

Thank you Button Poetry for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If My Body Could Speak is a poetry collection about sexual assault, rape, eating disorder, homophobia, and abuse. It was painful to read as each verses sucker punched my heart. Blythe's words are emotionally powerful. I applaud her strength for sharimg her experiences through poetry and I want to hug her tightly. While the collection is beautifully written and raw, it might be triggering (a warning to everyone). Two of my favorites are "Pocket-Sized Feminism" and "Horoscopes for Self-Doubt". Overall, I recommend this collection.

"If My Body Could Speak" by Blythe Baird is a beautiful work of poetry crafted with the likeness of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace with themes of feminism, trauma, and learning how to be a woman in today's world through  45 evocative poems. Button Poetry has never failed to bring up and coming poets to the public and certainly shows no signs of stopping with Baird's collection. "If My Body Could Speak" doesn't romanticize tough topics eating disorders and rape, but instead shows them in their truest, raw form, revealing what each is like with poise, grace, and just the right amount of anger. I'm excited to see what Button Poetry and Blythe Baird have to offer in the future. I look forward to reading many more works from her.

**I RECEIVED A COPY OF THE BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

In today’s age where trigger warning are nearly expected for anything with tough topics, it’s important to note that this book should have warnings for disordered eating, sexual assault, and LGBTQIA+ topics (apologies if this sounds off—she discusses things like queer identity, coming out, and acceptance as a queer person, which I know can be triggering for some individuals). The majority of the poems are related to these topics.

I’ve seen—and loved—many of these poems on Button Poetry so it was nice to read them and revisit them. I had expected from the cover that the majority of the poems would relate to disordered eating and from her previous performances, I knew to expect sexual assault-related poems but I had hoped to see more variance in the topics discussed. I would have liked to see some poems that weren’t about disorder eating or sexual assault.

I love so many of Button Poetry’s authors and I think they tend to knock it out of the park but this one slightly missed the mark for me. It was a solid 4/5, but I don’t believe it will be a book I revisit.

Having watched some of Blythe Baird’s spoken word poetry performances, I knew what I was getting into with this book. Let me say that reading the poems in written form hits just as hard as hearing them being spoken. 

This collection is a beautiful, brutally honest look at what it is to be a trauma survivor, a feminist, and a woman, among other things. Some of these poems made me ache for myself and all the other women in the world. 

I am looking forward to more from Ms. Baird in the future.