I was unsure whether to include these poems at all. My pride makes me want to hide them away and consider them not worthy and below me. But these poems are essentially who I was and therefore partly who I have become. They are also the origination of my poetic motivations. So, for the very reason to keep my pride in check, I believe that it is important that they stand here alongside everything else.

None of these poems were written due to external pressure i.e. school assignments. At that coming-of-age stage in life I made the decision to write poetry, just like every other adolescent around me dealt with their rampaging hormones in various ways. It wasn’t the only thing I did, and I wasn’t obsessed with it, but it was a sign of who I was to become.

The poems are in chronological order. I hope that even across this short period they show some signs of development!