falling from the sky
“Falling from the sky” is a collection of poems I wrote for my advanced poetry class at James Madison Univeristy.
“Falling from the sky” was inspired by one of my favorite quotes, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It explores themes such as envy, grief of your younger self, mental health and the feminine experience.
The collection is broken up into three distinct parts titled, “falling,” “struggling to stand,” and “climbing.”
Below are poems from this collection accompanied by notes about my process and the inspiration behind each poem.
falling
“Why so crabby?” is a poem about envy in the perspective of a crab apple. As a little kid, my parents took me to apple orchards every year and I would always think, “The crab apples must be so sad all of their friends are getting picked!”
At first glance the poem is about an apple orchard, it is actually commentary on how hard it is to be a woman. The crab apple (symbolic of a woman who does not fit society’s ideal beauty standard) is deeply jealous of her peers and values herself based on the opinions of others.
The definition of atychiphobia is an extreme fear of failure, not the fear of jumping of the fear of heights. This poem is about the hardships of growing up and learning about the fragility of life.
The speaker longs to be as naiive as she once was.
struggling to stand
What is it like to have anxiety? What does it feel like? It feels like your brain is a toaster!
“Our orbit” describes the experience of being an eldest daughter. The extended metaphor compares a family’s hierarchy to a solar system.
“Happy Birthday” is a love letter to my hometown. It is the familiar feeling of homesickness paired with vivid detail of where I’m from!
climbing
In “Ode to Sunflowers”, the sunflower represents the boldness of taking up space. The speaker appreciates the beauty of the flower despite it’s bigness and boldness.
“$7.99 grocery store daisies” is a reminder that it is okay to give yourself grace and gratitude.
