Foreward
Holidays. The word alone stimulates the mind with thoughts of a shortened work week or a rejuvenating getaway. Holidays are staples worldwide, and depending on where one lives, they're celebrated in a culturally unique way. Holidays, however, also celebrate the niches and novelties of life that don't garner as much national attention. Both officially and unofficially, people and groups have taken it upon themselves to bring attention to these celebrations.
This work is a series of short free verse poems that honor and recognize such holidays, and I consider it a spiritual successor to a short-lived initiative in my youth. Before the start of my high school senior year, I took it upon myself to write a series of poems focused on days of the week. I got as far as four days before other things made me lose my motivation to finish the work over time. These four poems are just some in what have been several different poems focused on assorted subjects. Many of them reached a local audience in my high school when they were published in The Spectrum, an annual curated book of artwork, essays, photography, prose, short stories, and of course, poetry. I would argue the publication was a launch pad for creative minds to test the waters of their imagination. I'm privileged to have collaborated on the book over the course of three school years with several contributors, many of whom I'm still great friends with.
Family and friends alike tell me time and time again that I should write a book someday. These same people praise my fluent and expressive outlet of speech. For the time being, writing a whole book is a bit of a pipe dream, but starting small with a collection of poems never hurt anybody. I invite you, the curious reader, to immerse your senses and judge for yourself the perspective of an aspiring, autistic poet. I hope in some way I am able to inspire you in whatever creative endeavors you pursue. After all, reading and writing poetry is only one advent-ure in itself.
