FEVER DREAMS

Fever Dreams is a series of poems I wrote during my Masters' degree in 2022. The pieces are based on things I found scary at the time, and they're all from the perspective of a (presumably) unspeaking thing. Having reflected on these poems a couple years later in 2026, I feel a bit embarrassed: embarassed to have considered myself entitled or knowledgeable enough to write about these things (missiles and rabies) when I've got no real experience in either (aliens are another story.) That said, both are still a pretty fun exploration into vispo and rhythm. 

I don't know about limiting the boundaries of your writing by worrying about silly things like 'knowledge' and 'experience', because good things happen when people try: like, they get better at things, and feel compelled to chase the knowledge and experience they'd otherwise lacked. That said, this view of mine – of 'writing it anyway' – applies to things like mammoths, and celery. I don't think I'd 'write it anyway' when it comes to hate crime, or a terrible natural disaster, because I haven't experienced either. There are authentic voices whose grounded stories should be heard first.

When I wrote RS-28 SARMAT, Russia hadn't yet invaded Ukraine, and I was wondering what it would be like, as an enormous weapon of mass destruction, to become aware of your own purpose. Given the wars ocurring at the moment (I'm writing in this in May 2026), I don't think about missiles with the same detached sense of wonder as I did back then, when I was filled with daydreams of space-shooter games and Armored Core VI. Arms of war are real things bought by real people who intend to kill other real people. People shouldn't kill other people. That's kind of the one rule, right? I've been following it, at least. It's not interesting or funny that so many lives can end in an instant. It's just miserable. These thoughts fill me with grief. 

Still, I hope you can enjoy reading these poems. I wish to revise them in the future, and to perhaps create another ''fever dream' series for a pamphlet. If you're interested in working together, please reach out.