Venus

Venus is a debut poetry collection by Anthony Calderon that aims to encapsulate love, beauty, nature, and sensation through a blend of texture, imagery, and lyricism. It chronologically follows the process of falling in love from a first-person male POV, with the narrator initially overcoming loss and addiction in order to heal, evolve, and ultimately find love again. With a heightened sense of self-awareness and observation of one's own actions and consequences, the narrative fluctuates between apathetic, dark tones and emotionally driven prose that mirrors the oftentimes difficult process of opening up and becoming vulnerable. This poetry book is designed to elicit reflection and emotion, to touch upon both the intangible and tactile, as well as the elusive ghosts of past love, personal growth, and pure fantasy. Its pages include the substance and symbolism of our sister planet of love, Venus, the stark contrast of losing oneself and rediscovering oneself within the heart of another.