How do we cope when the person we've hung our hopes on inevitably disappoints us? How can we love again? What if we can't forgive them? What if we can't forgive ourselves?

In Spoonful of Tears, poet Victoria Allyce explores the emotional knots we are bound by-some of which may be too tangled to unravel. Thoughtfully divided into four major sections, the collection opens with the initial spark of hope when recognizing we might have found someone worthy of our love. In "Safe Place," she contemplates the peace this can bring-and in "A Moment in Sunshine," its all-too-temporary nature.

When this person falls short, this hopeful spark begins to burn-and the hope we had turns into fiery rage. But while our anger might first threaten to scorch the one who hurt us ("Shut Out"), it is the anger turning inward, against ourselves, that threatens to really sting ("Prior").

When this fire finally burns out, all that is left is bitter ash, threatening to suffocate any hope at all. It can leave us with a feeling of emptiness ("Spacious") and a loss of belief in our ability to love others ("Habit").

These feelings are difficult to feel-let alone to express. But as Spoonful of Tears reminds us, there is no need to worsen our suffering by pushing against them. It is okay to feel things we aren't proud of, to disappoint ourselves, to refuse to forgive.