Forgotten Lands
Coming December 2026
After her acclaimed debut, Lauren Martin returns with a luminous second collection that speaks from the stillness of a life irrevocably changed. Following a spinal cord injury that left her mostly bedridden, Martin turned inward—into her spiritual practice and her poetry.
Rooted in the West African tradition of Ifà, and honoring the Òrìsà who walk with her, these poems explore love and loss, isolation and faith, illness and the body, and what it means to be marginalized both physically and spiritually.
With a voice that is at once melodic and raw, Martin moves between verse, haiku, and prose with lyrical precision. Her work sings with reverence for nature, for God’s presence in all forms, and for the power of language to carry us through even the most unthinkable transformations.
Forgotten Lands is poetry as prayer, as protest, as survival. It is a testament to the beauty that endures in humanity and the natural world when everything else shifts and falls away.
Readers’ Favorite Review: Five Stars
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
Lauren Martin offers an intimate collection of poems in her book, Forgotten Lands. Through her poetry, Martin recounts her experiences and paints a vivid portrait of her life and the environment in which she grew up. She reveals her disillusionment with society, which continues to scoff at anything that is not part of the mainstream. In one of the poems, the narrator longs for a lover who has left them. Another one delves into the betrayal and loneliness one feels after a breakup. In yet another poem, the narrator dreams of their ancestral homelands. Others are about childhood memories of being discriminated against, disregarding the pangs of loneliness to follow the shaman's obligation, an ode to California's vibrant land and everything it entails, and a sister who has a crush on Keanu Reeves.
Although most of Lauren Martin's poetry can be called deeply personal, the topics she touches upon are universal, and I think a wide range of readers will resonate with them. Forgotten Lands is a book any poetry enthusiast will cherish. Martin's mastery of her craft is undeniable. Her poetry puts you in the mind of the narrator, and you feel their experiences through these poetic narratives that continue to linger in your mind long after you've finished reading. Many readers have probably gone through similar experiences, especially those explored in poems about love, longing, loneliness, heartbreak, loss, and health issues. Martin pens her verses in a way that strikes a chord in the very depths of your heart. These poems are like a soothing balm for your soul. I'm very glad that I read this collection and will heartily recommend it to every poetry aficionado.