Chapter

My poem titled “Semicolon”

My poem titled “Creep”

My poem titled “April”

My poem titled “Experiment”

My poem titled “Great Illusion”

There is this great illusion when you are a child
That everyone around you is good
But as you grow up and form your own opinions and values
You discover this is not the case
You dislike your uncle’s personality
Your grandmother’s changing temperament
You notice who cares and who doesn’t
You understand effort and your family’s unwillingness to put it in
You realize your parents are only human
That family gatherings are complex charades of complicated people
That birthdays are convoluted webs of hormonal tension
That holidays are uncomfortable occasions of mandated family time
That family time is something you’d wish to partake in alone
The eyes of a child are gentle ones
And once the illusion shatters
You’re left rubbing your eyes
For the rest of your life

-Collins

My poem titled “Fall In”

My poem titled “Flightless Creatures”

My poem titled “What a Difference a Day Makes”

My five line poem titled “Heartbeat”