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Why We Love Christopher Poindexter

By
Ashleigh Angel
christopher poindexter old soul love book, and instagram, lavender book
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Self-described as an observer of all things, Poindexter’s prose leaves us feeling so seen.

Florida-based poet Christopher Poindexter made his debut into the world of poetry with his book Naked Human. Lavender and Old Soul Love are his most recent pieces of work. We’re in love with all three collections.

Romantic, bohemian, and just a bit unconventional, his books show an appreciation for every emotion. Poindexter has us catching all the feels, one line at a time.

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I remember not being able to feel a fucking thing, for so long. Seeing friends and family and friends post pictures and videos on social media of watching sunsets and sunrises and taking their children and dogs on walks and I remembering trying to do all those things, but being furious with myself, because no true emotions stirred within me when doing so. The full moons most people celebrated felt like just another cancer in the sky. I thought I was crazy. I thought I was nothing. I remember not being able to look in the mirror for years, and when I did, I didn’t understand who I was looking at. I didn’t understand why any of this was happening- the depression, the anxiety, the fear and sudden explosion of insecurity. I remember staring at walls and trying to beat the tears out of me, treating my heart and soul and spirit like some punching bag dangling from my living room ceiling. I remember the thoughts multiplying, like they seem to do, one stacked on top of the other, “You are not enough. You never will be. Your pain is useless. There are a million others out there like you. You are not special. Get over yourself. There are starving children in this world. There are people being slaughtered because of race. And you are depressed about self loathing bullshit?” All these thoughts, man. No one ever tells you how real they are and how scary they become. How close you can get to going fucking insane, that balance beam, closer than most of us think. I remember eating 4-6 laxatives a day for almost two years because of body issues, when I was already a tiny little thing, and having to have someone tell me this was a form of anorexia, and that I needed to get help. So many people, man. So fucking many people that go through these small things that aren’t so small, and we never give a damn until it is too late. We never tell a person, hey, your pain matters, let me, a fellow human being who suffers in his/her own way, too, give you a hand and walk you down to the water of acceptance, self love, let me show you IT CAN BE DONE. We need each other now more than ever. We need to fight the battles INSIDE so we can fight the battles outside, together. LOVE IS THE MOVEMENT.

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It’s common with a lot of contemporary poets, but Poindexter’s fans homage his work permanently with tattoos of his prose. As far as incribing things onto your body as representations of your soul, you can do far worse than Poindexter’s gorgeous lines.

We can’t put down Old Soul Love, and we’re not mad about it. There is something both hopeful and grounding about the ways he spins stories around love. It’s both sobering and heady, to immerse yourself in the pages of his work.

Keep up with Poindexter on Instagram (@christopherpoindexter) or on his site: christopherpoindexter.org.

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