Hi! I had a professor once tell me to always be aware of my BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) when giving an important presentation. Therefore, I offer you the BLUF of this book –
Life is an experiment. We only truly know ourselves by the ways we interact with the world around us, whether it be people, places, things, or ideas.
Whichever medium brought you to this book, I sincerely do appreciate you being here.
Truthfully, this was never intended to be a book – and part of that makes it even more beautiful. I began writing poetry in 2023 as an organizational structure for fast-paced thoughts and anxieties. It brought me peace to sit in my car and type in the notes of my phone, giving direction to “loose end” thoughts and feelings.
The composition of this book came to life as I assessed the bigger picture of everything I had written – the six recurring themes I found over two years of emotional turmoil. This collection of 97 poems are my favorite journal entries, and I am so excited to share them with you. A great portion of the poems in this compilation came alongside some of the darkest times in my life, which make them a heavy read. On the flip side, some of these were crafted on the best days I can remember, about some of the best people around me, and to capture that elating feeling of living so I can appreciate it more.
The real message here is: no one has figured it out. Therefore, you truly are never alone. Life is an experiment because we are always learning; it is social because we learn from interacting with the people and environment around us; and it is great, well, just because it is.
I hope this book does for you as much as it did for me.
With so much love,
Nathan