I first started writing poetry towards the end of my senior year of high school in an effort to capture some difficult emotions I had regarding leaving my childhood friends and beginning a new chapter in life. The more I wrote, the more I found its value in articulating feelings that are more difficult to scratch. When you have to sit down and contemplate things like rhyming and syllables, it forces you to grapple with what words you really need to say.
As I wrote more in college I began to really enjoy the art form. A few years in I attempted my first poems that weren't about me or my feelings at all. Thus began my "Stories Concerning Strangers" project. These poems have helped me to emphasize with people experiencing emotions I never have. They help inspire me when it comes time to write my personal poems as well.
None of these characters are fictional; they're somewhere out there, I know. I've simply never met them. Therefore, to me they are strangers. But they aren't strangers to everyone. Maybe one of these characters is someone you know. Or maybe one of these characters is you.
Dedicated to the angel and the devil on my shoulders. Brock, who pretends every poem is amazing, and Braden, who makes fun of every one. Thanks for keeping me in the middle, guys.
