Katherine W. White
Table of Contents Introduction 2 Watercolor 5 Crashing Away 6 I Tasted Poison Tonight 7 Dullness Lane 8 The Call 9 Rednecks and Blessings 10 Tenth Row 11 Innocent Girls 12 Like Dying 13
Introduction Writing poems is an out of this world experience that felt like walking on mars without any of the proper gear needed to survive. If you know me, you know I am a performer. I have never been a writer or been truly ‘talented’ at anything that didn’t involve one of the three branches of being a musical theater triple threat. I always turn away from anything that involves writing, especially when it involves long paragraphs and putting my feelings on paper. When I first signed up for this class in early August, I only did it because it meant I didn’t have to write essays about things that I didn’t have a care in the world for, and in my head I thought ‘ It’s poetry, how hard can it be?” I fooled myself. Poetry is hard. In the early days of this class, I refused to open up. I believed my feelings were just for me and that no one really cared about how I felt in day to day situations, so I just played a character and acted like the poems were written as if I felt them because after all, I am an actor at my core. This was not cutting it. I quickly ran out of ‘fake scenarios’ to write about and my writing was showing it. This led into me writing about the small town where I grew up and how I have always felt as if it was too small and eventless for my big-world dreams, and how I am scared of disappointing all those I look up to. I feel as though my
best work came when I let down my guard and jumped fearlessly into my emotions. This collection offers just that, the feeling of dreaming big, the asparations, fears, and mistakes made along the way. It should feel at home with dreamers who are ready to explore all that the world has to offer them everyday. I’m picturing you reading this collection right now, curled up on your couch with a cozy blanket or sitting in bed under the covers with a giant cup of coffee or hot chocolate and some music playing in the background and a paper copy of this book, ready to read about exploring the big wide world. Wherever you are, I hope these poems inspire you to dream and reach for the stars; I hope they open the imagination and make you ready to live.
To all the small people with big dreams, may the world always be yours to explore.
To me, Fearless is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. To me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Taylor Swift
Watercolor Watercolor only works when the colors mix right. If one hue blends to a complementary color Everything will become a mix of mush. It's as if all I’ve ever worked on has failed. The bright colored perfection that I toiled with quickly becomes a mix of dirty lines and blobs To show that one mistake can taint my reputation And follow me into the canvas of doubt. Mishaps enter the excitement of darkened memory Where they can hide until one day they come back to haunt my every move like an old horror film. An innocent girl walks into a room to find a man Who stands there quiet, his longing still in secrecy. She feels the red paint glide across her throat.
Crashing Away Anxiety is like a car ride Starting slowly but quickly excelling Heading toward a hill. Speeding down a freeway Passing other cars like milestones, Being forgotten in the rearview. Sometimes losing attention By screaming to the radio Laughing at a random joke Suddenly taking a turn Slamming into a tree of depression. All those who had forgotten me Magically show up to provide assistance, As if they were there for me the whole time. Attempting to pump love into my already numb body. I am gone, I show them. I am already gone.
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