When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide


Poetry - Love/Romance
78 Pages
Reviewed on 05/28/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Hi!

My name is Isabel and I love to write poetry and short stories.

The inspiration behind this poetry book
is how much unrequited love can effect
a person. It also shows how to regain
your own self worth, as well as strength
and realise that maybe this person just isn't for you.

This book is a journey of love, heartbreak and healing.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite

When Daisies And Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a moving story of unrequited love set to verse. While the narrator sees herself as the fragile, cautious daisy, her love interest is a harsh, cold and often distant storm that threatens the very existence of the flower who silently worships the winds of the dangerous weather. Through a series of short captions, Scheck tells a story to which many readers will relate. As the daisy admires the storm from afar, she experiences a variety of emotions, both internal and external. She gains the strength to tear herself from the detached emotions of the storm.

The collection title is poetic in its own right, making this extremely eye-catching. It is the perfect balance of delicate and harsh, free and imprisoned, innocent and raw. I like that the poems do not appear to be traditionally titled, ending rather with the poet’s purpose. As with any good story, this collection contains a beginning, a middle, and an end with these lines placed within the text of the volume: “Most beings avoid being the centre of chaos; but I’m drawn to your blizzards”; “I need to drop my expectations; Because as all flowers know: He loves me not.”; “The daisy is dead. Now I’m the thunderstorm”. When Daisies And Thunderstorms Collide is an enjoyable read in its variety of succinct emotions. I really enjoyed the twisted greeting card attitude established by Isabel Scheck in this extremely emotional example of her talent. Kudos!

Bruce Arrington

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a sensitive, personal and private account of unrequited love. It describes, compares and contrasts two individuals: a woman who is described like a daisy, with its beauty and fragility; and a man who is described like a thunderstorm, strong, loud, and powerful. I also appreciate the carefully chosen summary at the end of each page; Scheck uses these in case the man misses the point of her poem. The woman is incredibly in love with this man, and she goes through a roller coaster ride of varied experiences throughout the “relationship”. The love she feels for him is, unfortunately, not a two-way street.

This book is simply marvelous, I can’t think of a better word. It is honest yet sweet and gentle in its communication. A book of this kind might be full of bitter and harsh words, but the self-control portrayed from the author demonstrates a maturity and a beauty within that is able to handle the situation and weather the storm. Yes, there is hurt, at times there is hope that the relationship might turn, but ultimately her feelings are for naught. And this is real life, as painful as it is. When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a book where I see the true value in helping others who have been, or are going through, a similar situation. Relationships blossom and break apart all the time in our world, and this powerful tool can help readers see themselves through the eyes of another, and use it to move on. Highly recommended.

Sarah Stuart

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is far freer than ordinary freestyle verse. None of the poems is formally titled; each has words in bold capitals that sum up the content at the end. The poems follow one after another almost as if they are tumbling over the pages in the wind. All of them are narrated by a daisy, a flower that will be recognised worldwide; it grows on every continent but Antarctica and belongs to a family believed to date back fifty million years. This makes it a marvellous choice to represent a young woman, both delicate and strong, who has fallen in love so deeply. “Only when it’s raining do I dance freely in the stormy winds.”

Isabel Scheck’s daisy begins by comparing her lover to a thunderstorm that begins gently and then “all of a sudden rain comes pelting down like my love for you”. She isn’t grand like a rose, or noticeable, or sure he does love her, but he is her lightning bolt, her sunshine, and then she begins to question why he sends thunderstorms. After the questions come the doubts and the pleas to be noticed, and then the heartrending “Your Adoration Is All I Need To Be Sane” – or is it a bold demand for his attention? The daisy does say he “came into my world like a tornado”, but she withdraws, and the daisy has a temper! When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is dedicated to all those who understand unrequited love, and it is utterly enchanting.

Jamie Michele

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a book of poetic fiction that tells the story of a daisy being swept up into a thunderstorm. Told in a chronological compilation of free-form versed poetry, the plot offers an analogy of a fragile young woman who loves a man. The young woman is a fragile flower, a daisy, and the man is a ferocious thunderstorm. With emotion, perseverance, and the strength (and initially, the lack thereof) of both identities brought forward as focal points in the narrative, love takes center stage as the daisy is able to find herself while under the turbulent and often violent crush of the storm.

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is a fresh approach to storytelling that Isabel Scheck has applied to a recurrent theme. I loved the verses that are presented on each page. While they are simple and straightforward, the power of her words resonates into the culmination of a beautifully told story. “Most beings avoid being the centre of chaos; But I’m drawn to your blizzards like the clouds that help you create turmoil. --STILL STUCK ON YOU.”

At the heart of the story is a frail flora speaking both to and about her love of the thunderstorm, in which the gentle raindrops and sleet that the storm unleashes can sometimes feel eerily codependent. It is when the daisy begins to shed her weakness and stand resolute in the storm that I saw her in full bloom, despite a series of crushing defeats. This book was shared with my 15-year-old daughter who disappeared into her room with it and has yet to return. It's brilliant.

Grant Leishman

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is a short collection of free-poetry, from the pen of Isabel Scheck. It takes a look at unrequited love through the eyes of the most underrated of flowers – the daisy. The poems, short and sharp, bring the poignancy and heartache of a young woman longing for someone who fails to even notice her. Using her metaphors of the thunderstorm and the daisy, you as the reader will run the full gamut of hope, love, rejection, hope again, pain, and finally rage, as the love that flows from the daisy is not reciprocated by the thunderstorm. What the poet tries to evoke here is the idea that we can be both sides of the equation, both the delicate daisy and the roaring thunderstorm.

This is a quick read and will appeal to readers who like visual imagery and the linking of emotions to physical reactions. As with all collections, especially of poetry, a few favourites will always stand out and this was certainly the case for me. Author Isobel Scheck managed to touch me with a number of verses. In “I Do Not Appreciate Your Frostiness”, I chuckled as the daisy berates the thunderstorm for ignoring her. I can almost feel the self-righteousness of the daisy. “How dare you ignore me?” Equally, “It’s Okay ‘Cause I’ll Learn To Love Myself”, the daisy comes to the realization that not only was the thunderstorm not going to notice her and fall for her, he never had and never would. Her only option was to love herself.

I enjoyed the positive affirmation of this poem. Finally, “The Daisy Is Dead. Now I’m The Thunderstorm” is a wonderful exclamation of turning a negative into a positive. The thunderstorm’s ignoring of the daisy will make the daisy turn into her very own thunderstorm. This is a good, gentle read for anyone who has experienced unrequited love or has been hurt by indifference and dismissal.

Justine Reyes

Isabel Scheck's When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide opens with a precise line: "we are as different as daisies and thunderstorms." It is a fitting opening for a book of poetry that tells a story with an adhesive, but often, metaphorical plot. Beginning with "we," readers should keep in mind that this story is about two people who are "different" from one another, but throughout Scheck's free-form verses we watch as a mere daisy falls tragically in unrequited love with a thunderstorm.

Whenever I read books, I can often identify what they remind me of. I think of what they are similar to and what not, but when I finished Scheck's book of poetry I could not find a comparison to any other modern work of poetry or poet. Instead, I thought of a quote from author Nick Flynn: "I think they [poets] are more in touch with human suffering." I finally found a poet who I can say transcends my expectation for modern poetry. The writing alone is romantic but emotionally cynical and beautiful.

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide tells a story and develops its plot; the daisy grows, the daisy evolves, surpassing her love for the thunderstorm in order to love herself. Her story ends with a magnificent crash and crack of visual nirvana. Scheck's work here can be seen as a timeless fable, at least that is what I believe in my subjective opinion. I leave it up to other readers to decide, but first I urge them to read it thoroughly and with emotion.

Edith Wairimu

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is a poetry collection by Isabel Scheck that explores romantic themes. In the compositions, Daisy falls in love with someone who does not love her back. She longs for him, and even his coldness and lack of feeling do not dishearten her. She waits for him and hopes that he will notice her. The thunderstorms and the lightning bolts he brings along only serve to fuel Daisy’s love. She turns cold sometimes; other times she is furious with him. She looks on as his attention turns to other flowers, every time hoping that he will turn to her. Her attraction to him takes many forms, some unusual and others common. Then she realizes the truth and this time her eyes are opened to her own love for herself.

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide explores love in a realistic way. Daisy is in love but her hope that her love interest will love her back is continuously shattered. Sometimes she remembers why she loves him so; other times she is angry that he chooses others over her. Though brief, the lines are powerful and telling. Meaningful lines are capitalized and striking language is used. Instead of the usual sunshine, thunderstorms and lightning appear frequently in the pages and they add a unique feel to the collection. The characters in the poems have recognizable characteristics. There is also a story line to the collection and the pace slows and accelerates in different places. Sometimes rhyming words are used to add to the collection’s rhythm. I recommend When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide to any romance poetry fan.

Fiona Ingram

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a work of free style poetry about unrequited love. The simple daisy adores the glorious thunderstorm. She abases herself before his magnificence … and indifference. She feels she is nothing without his attention. The world lights up when he is around, and life is meaningless when he isn’t. The poem is dedicated to people who have endured unrequited love and there are many, many readers out there who have felt that deep aching pain of loving and not being loved in return. The daisy reacts to everything about the thunderstorm, even while he isn’t trying to get her attention and very possibly has no idea she even exists. After all, the daisy is a humble, insignificant little flower, isn’t she? Not like a gorgeous glamorous rose… The daisy’s need for the thunderstorm is so overwhelming, so overpowering that she cannot exist without him. But she can, and she must, if only she can see her own value. Will she?

Time passes and, happily, a slow kind of realization sets in. The daisy becomes angry. Why won’t he love her? She must face the truth. He doesn’t love her the way she loves him. He doesn’t love her, period. Ironically, as her anger grows, so does her realization of her own self-worth and her strength. He is not worthy of her love and so the weak, fragile daisy is dead, and she becomes her own thunderstorm. She learns to love herself. So often we grovel before the object of our adoration, not realizing that love start within. We must love ourselves first in order to be loved, and there’s nothing egotistical about this. If we don’t love ourselves first, set standards for ourselves, value ourselves, how will anyone else love us and respect those standards? After all, people only treat you as badly as you allow them.

I really enjoyed this free form poetry by Isabel Scheck and the poetic style of the layout. It is a testament to the poet that in just a few well-chosen words and lines, the passionate emotions, the understanding, and the message come through. The reader feels their own emotions change as the daisy changes and grows in self-knowledge and understanding. We’ve all been there, and so reading these poignant and pertinent words will perhaps evoke memories in each reader of the time they wasted on loving someone not worth their effort, love, and energy. Hopefully, as time passed they will have discovered that loving themselves was the first step to emotional freedom. When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck contains much food for thought!

Anne-Marie Reynolds

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a book of romantic poetry. This is freestyle poetry that tells a story, a story of unrequited love. This is the story of a woman who meets a man and falls in love with him. The poetry takes us on the journey of their love, a journey that shows the woman, a daisy, that while she may be a delicate flower, beautiful and fragile, she can also be incredibly strong. The man, loud and powerful like a thunderstorm, does not return her love and we go on a sad yet beautiful journey, told exquisitely by the daisy.

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a wonderful book of poetry. Each poem flows naturally to the next with a short summary at the end of each one, leading us through the daisy’s story of love never returned. The daisy is a simple flower yet one of the most prolific; it presents an image of fragility hiding the fact that it is one of the strongest flowers on earth. The thunderstorm begins gently but soon increases in power, hurling all it has at the daisy who stands resolute and strong, taking all that gets thrown her way. I don’t normally read poetry but this collection drew me and held on to me, compelling me to finish the story. This is such a new approach to an age-old story and I feel sure that Isabel Scheck has many more like this to show us.

K.C. Finn

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is a short collection of romantic poetry by author Isabel Scheck. The poems of the collection center around a young woman who finds herself falling in love with a man, and on her journey she explores the different emotional levels that she is experiencing at that time. From the collection’s title, she becomes the delicate and underrated daisy in her softer moments, but when she needs to be strong and in control, the thunderstorms are born. The collection is told in free verse and spans seventy-six pages, making it an ideal coffee table pick-up read.

Some of the works within Isabel Scheck’s poetic collection are almost painfully romantic, because the tome takes its readers on a journey from the first buddings of love for another person to the terrible feelings of hurt and rejection when that love is unrequited. The simple ‘daisy’ that takes the form of the story’s narrator is interwoven beautifully throughout, and in a unique formatting style the titles of the poems follow at the end of the page, so you read the poem first before the title puts any ideas into your head. I found When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide to be a cleverly themed and well organized collection. My only complaint would be that many of the free verse poems actually read flat, like prose, so the collection reads more as a series of sentiments than actual poems. Nevertheless, the emotional journey Scheck takes her readers on is very compelling.

Cheryl Schopen

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a glimpse into a young woman’s experience with love. Through poems, readers are able to witness exactly how this woman feels. She compares herself to a daisy and the man she has fallen in love with to a thunderstorm. Each poem, while short with just a few lines, expresses precisely what is in this woman’s heart. Her feelings, while sometimes heartbreaking, are transparent. Readers will sympathize and easily relate to these feelings of unrequited love and will ultimately feel inspired by her strength.

Isabel Scheck’s When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide is, simply put, a book of poetry. However, it’s so much more than that. It is a work of written art. Even though some of the poems are very abstract and can take a minute to fully understand, all of them are extremely well-written and well thought-out. I instantly felt connected to this woman. Throughout the book, I wanted to give her a hug, be a shoulder for her to cry on, high five her, and praise her for how strong she is. I wish I could have read this throughout multiple times in my life. It would have motivated and encouraged me to be stronger. I definitely think that Scheck has a lot of talent. She reeled me in and made me feel for this woman, and I couldn’t put the book down until I got to the end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry or anyone who needs a little inspiration in their life.

Gisela Dixon

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a poetry collection of free verse poems about unrequited love. In this relatively short book, Isabel has written poems that revolve around the theme of one-sided love or infatuation that is not reciprocated. We read the poems from the perspective of a girl who identifies herself as a daisy flower and the man she is in love with is compared to a thunderstorm with its thunder, rain, and lightning. The book and the poetry slowly evolve from the daisy flower pining after the man, him not reciprocating or ignoring her, and the daisy coming into her own to become her own thunderstorm and to find someone who appreciates and loves her. Each poem is short and only a page or a few verses long. There is a brief author bio at the end of the book.

I liked reading When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide and thought it was a simple and pure book in the sense that almost anyone can identify with some feelings of unrequited love. Since this is what forms the theme of the book, it is very relatable. The language and the writing style are clean and simple without any extra embellishments which lend a certain pure quality to the emotions. As a result, anyone young or old will be able to grasp and appreciate it. My favorite part of the book was the end where daisy flower clearly is able to understand her own self-worth and knows that she deserves better and someone who truly loves her back. This is a great little book for poetry lovers.

Maria Beltran

When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide by Isabel Scheck is a book of poetry with the universal theme of love and romance. We are as different as daisies and thunderstorms in the first line and this imagery is consistent in the rest of the poems. It is soon apparent that the daisy represents a young woman head over heels in love with a young man who does not return the attention. "Thunderstorms are beautiful and mysterious/ While daisies just wilt/" it continues. The big contrast between the wilting daisy and the powerful thunderstorm immediately sets the tone of unrequited love and the strong emotion that is as pure as the daisy itself.

Isabel Scheck's When Daisies and Thunderstorms collide is a unique book of poetry because it is not only a collection of poems but is also a short story in its own right. Each of the poems in this collection oozes with a powerful emotion - love. There is, however, a subtle shift in the tone of the narrator towards the end of the book when the daisy slowly finds its resolve and strength. Isabel Scheck's free verse poetry is lyrical and easy to read and is quite entertaining. Her vivid and powerful metaphors are probably the strength of her creative writing style as nothing is left to the imagination, as to the power of love. "On many occasions / I have picked at all my petals saying: You love me; You love me not," she writes. Many young women who have experienced unrequited love can immediately empathize with these beautiful lines and it is such a poignant picture. When Daisies and Thunderstorm Collide will surely tug at the reader's heart and it is a bittersweet feeling.