#i wish you the best anon <3

[bloggingboutburgers]

Hi! Just wanted to drop by and say that I love your art style and your comics. Still trying to figure out the whole aroace thing for myself so seeing you share your experiences like that really helps and makes my heart warm <3

Hiya! Thank you so much for reaching out, this is such a lovely message to come back to <3 I wish you the best in your journey figuring out aroace identity and whatnot! I'm super glad if sharing my experiences can help, honestly I'm pleasantly surprised they can be relatable at all hehe^^ Though I'd also like to say, the aroace spectrum is pretty vast, and there's a myriads of identities and personal experiences within that spectrum, so what I'm drawing here is definitely strictly my personal experience and I don't mean to speak for everyone! What I mean is, if what I'm drawing can resonate with you, that's super awesome and I'm very grateful, but if it doesn't always, that works too! You do you, everyone on these spectrums is their own person with their own experiences, and everyone on these spectrums is free to call the shots on who they are, how they label themselves, and how they feel about this and that. This much I know.

huijkgnfdjkgfd I hope that makes sense- Either way yeah, thank you so much!!^^

[bloobydabloob]

the dirkjake tag is not sick of you!!!!! we appreciate the blooby dirkjake art!!!! EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU BLOOBY!!!!!

Oh you are too kind… I am glad. I definitely need to space it out a little though but they’re in my head. They’re in my head and they will not leave. They also shot me in the head and ran away. Just dripping all of my art out of me in some kind of DirkJake distillation process… that’s what they’re doing.

[jazze-bee]

Ohh how long are/were in animation school!? I like animation and someday wish to pursue it

i'm in my second year and i've barely learned anything. though hopefully it'll be a good gateway into the industry.

I just taught myself how to animate by studying fan animations frame by frame and apparently it worked

Edit: lol sorry that was probably too mean. I'm further into my second year now and I'm making good connections and learning essential things about the industry workflow. The first year was just more relaxed to ease us into it :)

[spearxwind]

not to sound weird but what was that work you put in to get where you are 🙏 i want to improve my life so bad but have no clue where to start. even a general gist of things

You dont sound weird! I think it's commendable to want to change your life for the better, and I want to help in any way I can :D

This is also my own perspective but I think a lot of it could be universally applied if you look at it through different lenses of ppls different situations. This also got rly long so I'm putting it under a readmore ^^;

So I had pretty much been isolating myself with increasing ferocity for years until recently. Even when trying to reach out to people I was extremely closed off, keeping my feelings behind many walls and chains always. A lot of my hard work has come from undoing all of that fuckup. I put all my eggs into my online friendships (and even then had a hard time with them).

My behavior was a cluster of personal garbage, learned mannerisms from keeping bad company, and hardwired reactions to specific behaviors. It's something pretty hurtful to realize when you do realize it, but that doesn't mean that you are a bad person or a failure or anything like that. It just means that you have certain bare minimum survival behaviors that worked before but now are only doing you damage, and you have to learn to undo them. (which is a great step!!)

Which brings me to what I have (painfully) learned over the past several years: the basis to any and every good relationship, romantic, platonic, family, or anything is crystal clear communication. Straight up for the love of god communication skills will save your life time and time and time again

And also like I said in earlier posts the solution to wanting to be more social is just BEING more social. This is arguably extremely hard, especially after years of "if they want me around they'll ask me" and always waiting to be invited but not wanting to bother anyone by asking if you can join NO!!!!!!!! GET THAT SHIT OUT OF YOUR BRAIN EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!!!!! It really does NOT work that way at all. People will invite you to things if they see you express interest in them. The same way that in your head you think 'theyll invite me if they want me to go' if they dont see you express interest people will think you dont want to join. If you go someplace and just stay recluse because youre shy they likely will also think "theyre probably not comfortable or dont want to be here, so we wont force them". People are inherently kind and they are definitely NOT thinking about shunting you on purpose (and I am speaking this, genuinely, from personal experience)

While I was studying my major I got close to a group of people and thought of them as my friend group, but they always seemed cold to me, and I rarely got invited to hangouts because they seemed closer among themselves so I ended up always thinking that they didn't really want me around, and created all of these assumptions in my mind about them or what they thought of me.

Years later, recently, I found one of them again just... randomly while walking through the street and we started talking. And in my much better state of mind I asked about this whole thing because I wanted to know how the rest of the group was doing (I care very much for them still) and he revealed to me that THEY were the ones who thought I was shutting myself off of the group bc I didnt wanna be close to them. Which just blew my mind but it made a lot of sense and explained a lot. I was always on my phone too, talking with my internet friends (because it was my comfort zone), so what they'd assumed was that I already had a friend group that I was invested in and so I wasnt going to prioritize them. SO basically this whole thing ended up being resolved with clear communication and would have been solved much earlier if I had just spoken up about it and gotten braver (though my mental state did not let me at the time)

Anytime you are making up assumptions and ultimatums in your mind without communicating them to the other party you should stop and very much go and speak out loud to the other party (or parties) it will genuinely do you good cause huge as hell brain snowballs do nothing but drown you in your own mind.

Also on the being social front, if you dont have the practice in then it will be hard but a lot of it is very much "fake it till you make it" and I genuinely cannot recommend that enough. Inject yourself into conversations and places and act like yourself unapologetically because the secret isnt to craft a persona that you think people will like, its just being yourself and finding people who will love you for who you are. And like I said I just got invested in other ppls plans and asked to be able to go to places, and oftentimes just by expressing interest i got invited "oh I love this show very much!!" "well we have a plan to watch it at my pals house do you wanna come?" "we were planning on going to X place this week" "omg that sounds so cool can I come with" "of course!" Generally people will respond with "the more the merrier" so please dont be afraid to ask. And even if you get a rejection or two it's fine, don't let it discourage you. Some plans are simply not meant to be, and that's totally fine too!

Something else I worked for was reestablishing contact with old highschool friends I'd lost and I missed terribly. I went out of my way to find them again (old phone numbers, old emails, old instagram accounts that hadnt posted since 2019), and I found them!

And most of them really missed me too and were absolutely thrilled I contacted them again, we picked up right where we left off eight years prior. With a lot to catch up to but its genuinely so nice to have them in my life rather than just melancholically thinking about them and wondering if they hated me or anything. Turns out that they had also thought to contact me as well or had tried and lost my phone, or some of them even thought that it was better to leave things as they were to not "stir up shit" so we were all stuck in the same loop of insane thinking without actually confirming it until one of us (me in this case) finally broke the ice (and it took a damn long time too)

The thing is, people are just like you. We all have our own mental nonsense to fight, and we all have our assumptions and propensity to think ourselves into the grave, that's why its so so so so important to communicate things as clearly and as often as possible. Bearing your suffering alone will only make you miserable in the end, and your circle is there to help you

As a last note, I do want to say I have been incredibly lucky, because the friend group I've been adopted into I have met through that one friend from uni that I just HAPPENED to find on the street. I could have not waved him over on the street and just kept walking with my music on and ignored him. I could have said 'no' to his offer to get dinner that day if I'd wanted to be home earlier. I could have never spoken up about liking eurovision and never gotten invited to the hangout where I met my bf. And none of this would have ever happened at all. But that just strengthens my advice of "just say yes and reach out of your comfort zone" because you never know where it's going to lead you!

All this to say:

Communicate clearly with your peers to reduce misunderstandings. More likely than not they'll be in the same boat as you are. (Also extra note. Communication works BOTH WAYS. It needs to come from both parties. It is also a skill you have to nurture and hone!!)

Be kind!! and be loving!! and be yourself unapologetically!!

reach out to people the same way that you'd want to be reached out to. It sucks that sometimes (even often) you have to be the one to do it, but you eventually reap what you sow and people will learn that they can reach out to YOU

People will respond in kind to you being nice to them and a positive energy in their life. Some people will take advantage of it yes, thats just how things are, and its something you have to learn to recognize but you should never let that steel your heart. It is so so so important to remain kind and loving the world needs it so much. We're all out here trying to make our own lives and our loved ones lives a little bit brighter <3

[soracities]

God I had such a wonderful literature teacher in high school. It pains me to admit that I spent most of his classes either sleeping or daydreaming about death and other equally depressing subjects. I remember thinking even then, I used to like books. Why can't I get myself through this readings why are all of these poems so lifeless to me? And like the rest of my classmates I just googled the Spanish equivalent for SparkNotes for all the readings and got a 10 in every exam. Now I find myself seeking out those same poems and sonnets and books and wishing I could turn back in time to actually listen to this passionate guy who had been all over Europe and knew 5 languages and lived so much and was so specific about which translation to get for every poem and have strong opinions about 10 other translations. I just want to grab my past self and shake them hard and scream "WAKE UP!!!!!! This thing you're ignoring right now will be the only spark of hope and joy you will find in your 20s please it's can save your life NOW if you manage to open your eyes and ears for a little bit"

Now I'm getting a degree in english, and I'm an auxiliary teacher at a primary school and it really feels a bit depressing to know that sometimes not even a great, passionate and talented teacher can make someone with an underlying interest in the subject actually pay attention and enjoy a high school class. Or maybe I was just an idiot and it's a me problem. Or maybe literature is meant to pass you by the first time around and make you go and get it out of your own will at your own time.

I think there's definitely something to be said for finding the right literature at the right time, absolutely--but I also think the fact that you still remember this teacher and the incredible passion and attentiveness he brought to those classes, that you are holding this recognition close to you now, even if you weren't able to give it the attention you wish you had at the time, counts for something, too 💕 in spite of everything something of his teaching still remained with you, even if it's being appreciated after the fact, and I think that, for most teachers, that impact alone means a great deal! Maybe you didn't appreciate the class itself, but you are appreciating the poems and those outlive every classroom and what greater influence is there than that? (And sometimes it's not even the subject itself that remains with you, but the actual teacher. I had an incredible English teacher also, but I know the impact she left on some of my friends had little to do with the poems and plays and everything to do with who she was as a person, and this is, I think, one of the most important things that come from a marvellous teacher)

I don't think you were an idiot at all--I think that whatever you were going through at the time must have been so immense, and as frustrating as it is to look back and wish you could have managed things differently, I think it's so important to allow yourself some grace for the fact that who you are now, looking back, and who you were then, are two different people--some circumstances, I think, are beyond a pupil and a teacher's control but we do the best we can with what we have, and what you have now, and what you had back then, probably look very, very different. Have you ever considered reaching out to your former literature teacher? Writing a letter or an email to let him now what you feel about his classes now, being older, and what this recognition means to you?

I think it's amazing that you are where you are now, with the passion you have now, and also with the awareness, even if you couldn't appreciate it at that time, of what a passionate teacher can bring because it will help make you a more attentive and better teacher as a result. I think teaching is one of those vocations you need to love with your entire being and if you can bring that love and that attentiveness with you to the best of your ability at any given time, then this counts for something, even if not immediately in the classroom itself 💕

[anto-pops]

Did you see “the list” that’s been going around on TT about hogwarts legacy creators and smut pretty much? were you on it at all or are you safe to write another day lol

I saw it, I wasn’t on it, but even if I had been I don’t care what some random on tiktok thinks about me.

I got a few asks about the whole situation and I’m not trying to burst my little bubble of peace here but I will say this: it is your own responsibility to cultivate an online experience for yourself that you’re comfortable with, no one else’s. If that means blacklisting tags, unfollowing/blocking people, or better yet getting off the computer and taking a break, then so be it.

The only thing us content creators can do is tag our stuff to the best of our abilities and put warnings on the things we post, which most of us here already do. Instigating hatred and animosity towards people who literally haven’t done anything to you personally is never okay, and I’m so so sorry to the ones who are receiving any unwarranted cruelty from randoms. Keep your heads up and remember that this too shall pass 💕🫶🏻

[ghosts-cyphera]

sending you lots of love and sunshine this thursday. may the end of your week be kind and soft and may you have a reason to smile each day.

I have no words, just—

[thegirlwholivesin-delusion]

BOARDS GOOD LUCK CHARM 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

THANK YOU ANON 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

I really need it 🫠

[hella1975]

Listen, taob literally changed the direction I was giving to my life by giving me such a big breakdown while reading it that I literally STOPPED and CHANGED how I was living my life. My REAL life. In the REAL world. So. Yeah. Congrats on the milestone because is so so so deserved!!! I'm so happy for you!! Can't wait for the next one :)

WHAT THE FUCK 😭

[goldensunset]

I love how well TWEWY captures the concept of "boys will be boys" in the most absurd ways. I'm talking specifically about week 3 Neku and Beat going "screw what we're supposed to do let's just go kill the city's god" with little or absolutely no pause to consider that it's a stupid idea that they'll almost certainly fail at. Like it really captures the spite of 15 year olds.

the neku beat single violence braincell is SOOOOO good week 3 is so wildly entertaining oh my goodness. they really just punched their way through every single obstacle with brute force and it worked. either sheer violence or friendliness with certain reapers solved the problem every single time. absolutely unstoppable legends. the dream team ever. every week they try to play up each of neku's partners as being annoying to him somehow/ holding him back but being honest i don't think beat's idiocy was ever a real issue. you didn't need to be particularly smart in week 3. neku's own smarts were more than enough. more than anything you needed to be powerful and insane. those boys had it in the bag from the start

[bloggingboutburgers]

I found your blog a while back, and seeing some of your content really helped me come to terms with the fact that I'm aroace. It was easier to recognize my aromanticism, I wasn't very fond of personal romance and it was easier for me to accept. My asexuality, however, took much longer for me to even begin to recognize. Finding your blog, seeing your content, and seeing some of the different asexual experiences helped me figure out and accept myself. Seeing differing opinions and stances helped me learn that it's okay for me to be a sex-favorable (and even sex-seeking) ace. Thank you, you're very cool.

Hi and thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so happy this could help you even if I'm a pretty vanilla textbook case of a virgin asexual TwT My partner is ace and very much sex-positive, though, and yeah, it's absolutely valid!! Honestly, maybe it's overly simplistic of me to think this way, but I believe if you feel deep down that you're of a certain orientation, then your personal call is right. You know yourself best. And if you need time to figure yourself out that's OK! But yeah, I'm so happy if this could help TwT I wish you all the best and with as much self-doubt within this community as possible, there's enough invalidating self-doubt imposed on us in the world as it is... (Of course self-questioning is valid, but self-doubt can be a little less forgiving, I guess that's what I'm trying to say)

[roselise]

Do you have any nicknames or pet names among friends or family?

Ooh . . my friend !!

I *love* nicknames! ♡ ⊹ * 🎀 ˚ . 🤍

Squeal !! How did you know ??

I always remember when someone gives me one, and I’ve quite a few over the years honestly!

Let’s see . .

I had a friend who called me ‘Stargazer’ cus I was always talking about the stars !!

I would send him pictures of the night sky, and told him all about the constellations!

(Which ones were my favorite, the history behind them or how to spot different ones at night, well you know! My dad actually really loved space and bought me my first telescope! I learned a lot from him ♡)

I also had friends who used to call me ‘Belle’ cus “You love books and you look so much like her” !?!

(Their words not mine! Not sure if I do look like her, but I *do* love books !! That is very true!)

I didn’t really ask or anything they just started calling me that, and I let them since I thought it was actually really nice ♡ ♡

Oh — and my daddy called me Rosy and ‘Little Bee’ :D

(Honestly he had a lot of nicknames !! He was just a silly, funny dad and I really miss all his nicknames for me)

What about you? What would you call me ?? What should I call you ??

Or do you already have some fun nicknames I can use ?? ♡ ♡

Thank you *so* much for the ask !! This made me smile, and think of such happy memories! It was really neat talking to you as well ♡ ♡

Sending you a very big hug, and lots of love !! I hope you have the best day, and that you take care, sweet anon ~ !!

♡ ˚ . ⊹ 🎀

🍓 ⊹ * 🧸 ˚ . ♡

♡ . ˚ * . ʚ 🤍 ɞ

[giggly-squiggily]

Hi squiggly! I hope it’s ok that I’m asking this, but I’m in a bit of an artistic slump lately. An itch to create, but no ideas. I was just wondering if you had any fun suggestions! No pressure of course, I just figured why not ask. Have a great day! -⚡️

Hey friend! It's not a problem at all you're asking this- though I don't know if I'd be much help in art ideas hehe 😅

Let's see:

Art trends and memes are fun! The color wheel art challenge, The six characters fanart challenge, any one of those draw the squad memes can be really fun and challenging! (and of course there are tons out there to check out!)

Another idea is to try drawing your favorite characters/OCs in different art styles! Like- if you tend to draw more humanesque, why not turn someone into an animal crossing character or super cartoony? Or if you draw more loose and shapely, why not try drawing the opposite of that?

There are also other mediums to try! If you're used to playing around with colored pencils and such, maybe try markers or paints or even digital? You could also do collages of art in your sketchbook too- glueing things in and creating a sort of layered look to whatever artwork you're working on :)

Finally- I'd recommend checking out one of those art prompt lists or generators that give you a word or scenario that you have to expand on. They can be pretty fun to use- and you'd be surprised on what you might make with them!

Those are just a few thoughts; if anyone wants to add their own ideas, please feel free to do so! I hope this helped!

[iovetecchou]

AHHH Q the new Tecchou fic you posted was so good!!😭😭 dw, me personally, I don’t think the timeline(?) was confusing and it was actually really sweet <33 if you do decide to write a part two for it, just know that I’m really looking forward to it

And also, I’m just wondering if you know about the things people were asking Asagiri (I believe it was another interview sort of thing) and I can’t really send the screenshot here but someone asked Asagiri if there were any characters that he would like to pair up more frequently in the future, and this is what he answered; “As for the relationship between Dazai and Fyodor or Fukuzawa and Mori, they are the drivers of the story. They make sure that the story moves forward. That is their role. As for the future, the characters that I do want to pair up- as a rivalry or something- Would be Jono and Tetcho.” I’M GOING CRAZY OVER THIS INFORMATION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS MEANS SUEGIKU WILL PROBABLY BE MORE IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE. And also the hunting dogs are most likely going to survive the DoA arc!! Okay this is a lot, I didn’t mean to write so much, but have a great day/night!!!!!

-🕯️

wahhh thank you so much!! i’m really glad to hear you enjoyed it, and that it didn’t come off as confusing for you (‘: i was a bit worried about that… and i also wanted it to make sense so if you were to read it in reverse it would also align!! but there will definitely be a part two in the future ✍️ i am going to try and work on it later next week possibly^^

BUT‼️‼️ oh my god i didn’t know this?! this really is so exciting, this practically confirms that they’ll make it past the present arc but not only that— i have hope that we’ll also get some insight into tecchou’s past especially if asagiri has plans for a rival including jouno and himself… which is… way beyond thrilling?!!

and please— i really appreciate you sharing this, i also hope you’ll have a great day / night!! don’t forget to be kind to yourself <3

[subdee]

Do you mind if I ask what medication you are taking for ADHD? I've been taking viloxazine but it keeps me awake for multiple days sometimes. My doctor and I are going to meet and talk about revising the medication. I'm trying to avoid adderall.

Hi anon! I'm not currently taking any medication for ADHD. When I was in grad school I had a methylphenidate prescription, the generic version of Ritalin.

... I also couldn't get the prescription refilled because I did grad school in England and fast-acting stimulants are a schedule II controlled substance there, plus adult ADHD diagnoses weren't really a thing at the time (this was 10 years ago).

So since I only had the limited supply I brought with me I would take it "as needed" to write papers, finish assignments, write my graduate thesis... Basically I was one of those bad people who get a prescription they "don't need" just to get schoolwork done, even though I had been properly evaluated and diagnosed by my regular non pill-pushing doctor before going to the UK.

Maybe it's because I wasn't taking the medication regularly AS medication, but my experience was the same as yours. I had a lot of trouble sleeping, plus I would get a bit, I don't know if manic is the proper word for it, but energized and then crash afterward.... I don't think I've ever been as depressed as I was while prescribed methylphenidate, lol. This would happen with both the quick-release and slow-release pills and actually the slow-release ones were worse because they were at a higher dose.

So my experience with ADHD medication is mixed because on the one hand I did finish my thesis on time and on the other hand it wasn't something I could continue long term, and ultimately I decided to stop taking it and find other ways to focus.

...and also, I decided to not pursue a career in social statistics that would have required a lot of intense focus on solitary projects for long periods of time. Instead I work in an urban high school where we're always in crisis mode and there are immediate consequences if I don't plan my lessons well enough and that motivates me, lol.

It's funny, as a kid I always considered that I had a shorter attention span than others, and also that it was more variable than others and less under my conscious contro (Thinking, Fast and Slow is a good book about this).

But as I've become an (older) adult and settled, and also as more and more people spend more and more time looking at screens -- we were the ONLY family with a desktop computer at home in my neighborhood when I was in middle school -- lately it seems like the average attention span has shortened. And mine is actually fairly long now in comparison. So I don't feel the need to take medication anymore, really.

The non-medication thing that helped me the most, btw, when I was job-hunting after grad school was a project to journal my moods / energy hour by hour throughout the day. Because what I realized was that my main problem was that I didn't **know** how I was feeling, so I couldn't manage my energy by myself by adjusting my schedule, resting when needed, drinking coffee, etc.

Once I gained the magic skill to know and manage my own moods that helped tremendously. And I want to say that the ADHD medication, although I didn't keep using it, really helped with that by exaggerating my attention swings and making them predictable. Not just was it easier to recognize the exaggerated moods, but also I let go of a lot of ideas I'd had about what I "should" be able to do and a lot of moralizing I'd been doing about being a lazy good for nothing, etc. Because how could it be a moral issue or a question of willpower when you could change it with a pill?

For this reason, I think everyone should try a mind-altering or mood-altering drug at some point in their lives, even if they ultimately decide to not take any drugs. I think it gives you empathy for other people whose brains work differently from yours, and a sense of perspective about your own brain.

I'm sure this isn't what you wanted, maybe try asking in a ADHD medication subreddit or on ask.metafilter.com. I think you'd get a lot of interesting advice.

[jeanmoreaux]

Hi, I love your taste in literature so I'm turning to you with a request (I hope I'm not bothering you, if so please ignore this). I've been trying to get more into poetry (quite successfully) because I see so many great poems here on tumblr but usually when I try to read more from the authors whose poems I liked, I am disappointed. Do you have any recommendations for poetry collections that are good all the way through? Where you don't feel like you were cheated into reading them by one beautiful quote?

you are absolutely not bothering me at all. it's cool that our taste in literature seems to overlap (feel free to share recs with me anytime!) i think with poetry collections of one individual you won’t find one that hits all the way through all the time with every line. there will be some poems that resonate more with you than others, even when all are great examples of the craft. here on tumblr, we're almost too used to consuming poems in small, juicy bites that highlight some of the punchier lines, not just in a collection but within a single poem. but the build up to these disembodied quotes can be so satisfying as well and often enhance the meaning and power behind them. and also, with poetry more so than prose, a lot of the enjoyment comes from sitting with a poem and thinking about what it means to you personally, what you see or hear in it. so i just want to have that out there before i talk about some collections i have enjoyed in the last couple of years. (here is my poetry shelf on goodreads if you want to see more.)

when it comes to collections by one poet, i found that i usually prefer the ones that have some narrative thread woven throughout to connect the separate parts. i think "war of the foxes" by richard siken does a great job of establishing themes, motifs, and symbols that tie the poems together and has them in dialogue with each other. the collection (to me) is all about the creative process, the (un)importance of art, the influence of art on the creator and the audience as well as the discussions that happen in between the space between them.

i also really enjoyed both of ocean vuong's most recent collections. the latest, "time is a mother", deals with the grief of losing his mother, while "night sky with exit wounds" is mostly about the immigrant experience, identity (particularly how 'otherness' in the form of ethnicity, race, and queerness play into it), familial relationships, coming of age, etc.

eye level by jenny xie and don't call us dead by danez smith are two other collections i really enjoyed. the first is a very observant look at the worlds without and within us (think of it as eye level but also capital i level, if you know what i mean). the latter deals with themes of blackness in america, race, queerness (including the author's aids diagnosis), etc.

if you're interested in reading novels that are written in verse, i can recommend the poet x by elizabeth acevedo (made me very emotional) and autobiography of red by anne carson (is super weird, but my brand of weird).

with none of these works—or poets for that matter—i ever felt like they delivered less than good writing.

another option could be to spring for a curated collection that includes selected poems from different collections (or even different poets). i don't have a lot of experience with either kind, but i recently bought mary oliver's devotions and penguin's poems for love, so we'll see how i'll like those. ((there is also some unread ada limon and wendy cope on my shelf that i want to get to this year!))