{"product_id":"beautiful-chaos-isbn-9798217178018","title":"Beautiful Chaos","description":"\u003cb\u003eINSTANT SUNDAY \u003ci\u003eTIMES\u003c\/i\u003e (UK) BESTSELLER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs, an inspiringly vulnerable collection of poems exploring the sacred, tender, and beautifully chaotic moments of motherhood.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou are a mother\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ebut never, \u003ci\u003ejust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen poet Jessica Urlichs became a mother, she learned that the everyday ordinary is extraordinary. In \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Chaos\u003c\/i\u003e, Jess chronicles it all—the highs, the lows, the confusion, the loss of identity, the becoming, and the brutal but beautiful ways our children hold up a mirror to ourselves. Through her relatable and cathartic poems that poignantly capture motherhood from pregnancy to school age, Jess offers healing to those who need it, a reminder of a cherished time gone by, or even a grounding in your current moment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWherever you are in your parenting journey, Jess’s poems will make you feel seen and comforted amid the beautiful chaos that is motherhood.\"[Urlichs] demonstrated the courage to be tender, even sweet, and readers responded — particularly mothers, who hear in her gently accessible work the same intense affection and confusing struggles they’re feeling.\" —\u003ci\u003eWashington Post \u003c\/i\u003e(Ron Charles)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The poems are so beautifully observed and shared. The words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary. They remind you of what once was, while beautifully planting you in the now. I just want to go back to the start and read them all again. A beautiful companion to keep by my side.” —Giovanna Fletcher, author of \u003ci\u003eHappy Mum, Happy Baby\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jess’ words weave their way straight to the core of the motherhood experience. Beautifully heartfelt, inspiringly poignant and therapeutically validating.” —Anna Mathur, author of\u003ci\u003e Raising a Happier Mother\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Feeling seen and understood in motherhood is rare in our judgemental, advice laden world. Jess's beautiful words weave their way past your exhaustion, doubt and guilt—straight to soothe your soul. Reading this book feels like a much-needed long exhale.” —Zoe Blaskey, Founder of\u003ci\u003e Motherkind\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jess guides you right into the heart of motherhood with her poignant and piercing style and is unafraid to take you into the tender places of life as a mother. \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Chaos\u003c\/i\u003e will remind you of the joyous moments, the moments that bring tears to your eyes, and the moments you find yourself on your knees. Above all this new collection of Jess’s beautiful poetry reassures you that you are not alone. Jess' words are healing, powerful, honest and raw. She takes me right back to those tender newborn days, the mayhem of toddlerhood, and through life with a growing child, and in doing so reminds me of just how far I have come.” —Tracy Gillett, Founder of\u003ci\u003e Raised Good\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If you’re feeling nostalgic and want to reminisce on these fleeting moments of your own life, this is a stunning collection that can help you look back in awe and wonder at yourself and your children.” —\u003ci\u003eFlow Space\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] poignant collection of poems [that] captures the raw, emotional journey of motherhood. Through lyrical and honest verses, Urlichs explores the highs and lows of parenting, from pregnancy to the early years of childhood. The poems resonate with mothers and offer comfort, reflection and a sense of shared experience. With its relatable themes and heartfelt writing, \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Chaos\u003c\/i\u003e is a moving tribute to the complexities of motherhood.” —\u003ci\u003ePlymouth Magazine \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Chaos\u003c\/i\u003e, Urlichs runs toward the postpartum days that many prefer to turn away from. The lack of sleep, the loneliness, the trying to get the child to breastfeed—she’s unafraid to prod at that trauma...the poems hit me, and in fact found me swallowed by tears, \u003ci\u003ereal\u003c\/i\u003e tears...Then there are the poems written to her children. When my daughter was having trouble falling asleep, I read her a few of these poems. The following night she asked me to read them to her again. I could see the poems made even my seven-year-old feel something… I think all moms should read this book because [...] mothers can find themselves in her words. They can find validation while also be reminded to get on the floor with their children because soon the floors will be tidy and colorless and all they will want is to be eye-level with their babies again.” —\u003ci\u003eWords on Words\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJessica Urlichs\u003c\/b\u003e is a \u003ci\u003eSunday Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author and poet who lives in New Zealand with her husband and three children. She has written a variety of children's books to help babies and young children navigate their emotions in their early years. Jess’ honest and heartfelt poetry about her family and motherhood continue to be a source of guidance for mothers and parents alike around the world to connect.\u003cb\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was five when I wrote my first poem, and I discovered then how exciting it could be to read and write about something simply ordinary. I have written my whole life, mostly for myself, but somewhere along the way poetry changed for me; it became a way to turn the mundane into magic instead. Only since becoming a mother have I been reminded that the ordinary is extraordinary – my children have reminded me of that, and of my five- year- old self.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut as sacred and tender as early motherhood was for me, it also came with its struggles, so I wrote about those too. The highs, the lows, the confusion, the loss of identity, the becoming, the brutal and beautiful ways our children hold mirrors up to us. I decided to share my poems online (after a lot of nudges from my husband). It was incredibly scary being so vulnerable and facing the world, and it was also like one long exhale.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat started as scribbles in the notepad app on my phone soon became poems and prose that were shared far and wide. They started to create a ripple effect of sorts: other mothers were saying ‘same’, and expressing their vulnerability. Before long I was surrounded by this beautiful online village (for me that is what it felt like), the same one that encouraged me to write a book. Sharing these honest words with you all is also cathartic and healing for me, because motherhood is messy, and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes miss ourselves. It’s so nuanced and, somehow, no matter the different paths we are on, we’re connected through motherhood. So yes, it’s scary when I think about my exposed heart on paper travelling the world, but then I think about who’s reading my heart and I know it’s OK, because ‘they’ll get it’.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI hope these pieces remind you of a time that was, or ground you in the time you’re in now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI hope you feel seen in all this beautiful chaos.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWelcome to Motherhood\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen I entered motherhood\u003cbr\u003eI walked through a little door\u003cbr\u003e‘This is Motherhood,’ it read\u003cbr\u003eEveryone sat there in stripey tops\u003cbr\u003eExchanging pleasantries\u003cbr\u003eThings scattered all over the floor\u003cbr\u003eBags overflowing\u003cbr\u003eNervous smiles\u003cbr\u003eConnected by motherhood\u003cbr\u003eDisconnected by unspoken truths\u003cbr\u003eThen someone said\u003cbr\u003e‘I love being a Mum, but this is also really hard,’\u003cbr\u003eAnd suddenly I didn’t feel alone any more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMother in Waiting\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s often said that I am made for this\u003cbr\u003eThough sometimes I’m unsure\u003cbr\u003eBecause a mother wasn’t waiting in\u003cbr\u003eThe girl I was before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe didn’t lie in restless slumbers\u003cbr\u003eMemories made of night\u003cbr\u003eAnd when the sky’s outfit would change\u003cbr\u003eShe’d struggle to see the light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never been so still before\u003cbr\u003eWhile her heart continued to travel\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never felt so put together\u003cbr\u003eWhile the stitching of her unravelled.\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never known the waves of pain\u003cbr\u003eThat were woven into her bones\u003cbr\u003eHow to move without their weight\u003cbr\u003eOr how to dance alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never been this shape before\u003cbr\u003eHer body sore and broken\u003cbr\u003eWhere life did grow, her heart a home\u003cbr\u003eIts door forever open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never known a relationship\u003cbr\u003eCould balance on mountain ridges\u003cbr\u003eAn ocean in between them\u003cbr\u003eAs they built their tiny bridges.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never known how love could change\u003cbr\u003eA person to a place\u003cbr\u003eHow home is found in the way we’re held\u003cbr\u003eIn their smell, or in their face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never felt this kind of weight\u003cbr\u003eOr how time could hold its breath\u003cbr\u003eHow silence could be deafening\u003cbr\u003eHow to give when there’s nothing left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never had to pretend to know\u003cbr\u003eQuestion countlessly if she was wrong\u003cbr\u003eAnd learn one day she wasn’t pretending\u003cbr\u003eAnd she’d known all along. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer feelings never leaked like rivers\u003cbr\u003eHer time, never so poor\u003cbr\u003eYet richer in the ways\u003cbr\u003eThat didn’t matter as much before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe didn’t know that nature could\u003cbr\u003eBe placed upon her chest\u003cbr\u003eHow watching them grow was a type of calm\u003cbr\u003eThat meant she would never rest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo though they say I was made for this\u003cbr\u003eI’m not sure I agree\u003cbr\u003eIt wasn’t I that made the mother\u003cbr\u003eBut motherhood that made me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarrying You\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI carried you.\u003cbr\u003eIn a heartbeat you were one too.\u003cbr\u003eThe beat of mine,\u003cbr\u003eThe first song I sang to you.\u003cbr\u003eThrough pain and a force like no other, I carried you\u003cbr\u003einto this world.\u003cbr\u003eMy skin and smell, your first intuition.\u003cbr\u003eBreathing beside you, as you breathed life into me.\u003cbr\u003eWith tired bones and heavy eyes,\u003cbr\u003eI carried you.\u003cbr\u003eWith my sore body and full heart,\u003cbr\u003eI carried you.\u003cbr\u003eWith an aching love,\u003cbr\u003eOur hearts whispering to each other as you fell asleep.\u003cbr\u003eThough I will cry, and you will too.\u003cbr\u003eWe’ll continue to sail along,\u003cbr\u003eLed by you.\u003cbr\u003eWith this, I promise\u003cbr\u003eto always carry you.\u003cbr\u003eWhat a privilege to be loved like this.\u003cbr\u003eThe sleep will come.\u003cbr\u003eThe shore will come.\u003cbr\u003eSo I understand if you want to be here.\u003cbr\u003eWith one breath at a time.\u003cbr\u003eI will carry you.\u003cbr\u003eFor as long as you need.\u003cbr\u003eBecause you carry me too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBefore We become Two\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoon we won’t be one.\u003cbr\u003eWe won’t move to the same rhythm,\u003cbr\u003eour heartbeats won’t drum together from within.\u003cbr\u003eThis will be the last time I hold you this close.\u003cbr\u003eOne day you will be on your way,\u003cbr\u003eand oh the treasures you will find,\u003cbr\u003ethe places you’ll discover,\u003cbr\u003ethe things you will achieve.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s impossible right now, in this moment,\u003cbr\u003eto think I won’t bear witness to it all.\u003cbr\u003eHow one day someone else will share your secrets and moods,\u003cbr\u003eand know you much better than me.\u003cbr\u003eYou will tell stories I’ve never heard before,\u003cbr\u003ewhile ours will echo through my heart for ever.","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48232967831781,"sku":"NP9798217178018","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9798217178018.jpg?v=1767722312","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/beautiful-chaos-isbn-9798217178018","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}