Some books entertain. Others heal.
Inspirational Verse for Those Who Hunger and Thirst does something far deeper; it reaches into the places where pain lives and gently reminds readers that life is still worth holding onto.
This 56-page poetry collection is not simply a book of verses. In the author’s own words, it is about how poetry saved her life.
Written during a dark season while living in Newport News, Virginia, surrounded by water and battling daily thoughts of suicide, these poems became a lifeline. Each page reflects moments of despair, faith, anger, grief, and ultimately, hope. Poetry was not a creative exercise during this time; it was survival.
Two figures loom large throughout the emotional landscape of the book: Josephine Thomas, the author’s grandmother, and Sadie Thomas-Craig, her mother. These strong women shaped the foundation of the woman and writer Artemis Craig would become. Their influence, faith, and teachings echo throughout the poems, serving as anchors during moments when life felt unsteady and unbearable.
One of the most unexpected challenges in bringing this book to life wasn’t the emotional weight but the practical act of finishing it. Staying on course, typing, and organizing the pages proved difficult while navigating deep emotional pain. It was the persistent encouragement, some might call it loving nagging, of her best friend, Karen, that pushed the author to completion. Day after day, Karen refused to let her quit until the manuscript existed in full. That accountability transformed scattered pages into a finished book.
What makes Inspirational Verse for Those Who Hunger and Thirst stand out in the poetry genre is its unfiltered honesty. Ellen Sudderth once described the book as reading like a devotional, while Rawle Iam James said the poems felt like peeking into the author’s diary. Artemis Craig does not attempt to soften the truth. She bares her soul unapologetically, not for shock value, but to encourage anyone standing on the edge to believe that change, however slow, is inevitable.
At its heart, this book is an offering. It reaches out to tired readers, hurting, and questioning their worth, and quietly says: You are not alone.
The hope for readers is simple but powerful: that they finish the book feeling empowered to stand a little taller, straighten their backs, and never give up, even when the odds feel overwhelming.
Originally published in 2013, the book still carries emotional weight for its author. During a poetry reading a year ago, revisiting the work caused a wave of emotions to crash down unexpectedly. It was then that Artemis Craig realized why she hadn’t read the book in so long; she had grown far beyond the angry, hurt person who wrote those poems. That growth stands as living proof of the book’s core message: It does get better.
Today, Artemis Craig is a co-host at The Inspired Poetry Corner, a creative community where artists share their truth through spoken word. That same commitment to authenticity and healing continues to shape her work and her purpose.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon and through the author’s website at
https://artemiscraigbooks.com
Readers can also follow her journey on social media:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/artemis.craig/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ladyarcher57/
TikTok:https://tiktok.com/@artemis.craig
The enduring tagline from the book says it best:
“It Does Get Better…”
Because it does. It just did.
Inspirational Verse for Those Who Hunger and Thirst is soul food for the soul a testimony of faith, poetry, love, and the unbreakable will to never surrender.
