Book Review for Before You Know It by S.K Williams
I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.
Before You Know It, by S.K Williams, is a poetry collection about finding a compromise between innocent, childlike dreams, and reality. The book is separated into four parts. In the Beginning, details the aspirations someone may have for themselves and the plans they make to reach their goals, despite the doubts that may plague them along the way. Uncharted Waters illustrates the reality of what it means to follow those dreams and the mental and emotional fortitude it takes to continue struggling toward them. Beneath the Storm describes the heartbreaking reality of having to come to terms with the life you wanted, versus the life you received. Finally, At the End denotes that those dreams are still there, whether it be that of being happy or being a writer, and that, despite all the hardships that had fallen, they’re worth fighting for.
It felt like each poem carried a lesson you have to learn in the moment. There’s no thinking, no rhyme or reason; it just is. You learn to grow and take care of yourself, and then you learn how to take care of others, and when you fall, others might laugh or pity you. But then you get back up and you go back at it again. I especially “loved” the financial struggles poets had to go through and the difficulty of letting a marriage that wasn’t working; there’s something so intoxicatingly human about ruminating over what feels like past regrets. Again, it’s nothing you can change; it is what it is. But despite all the chaos involved, you somehow find a way to move forward. It might not be the path you envisioned, but it’s a path nonetheless. This, unfortunately, is horrifically true with mental illness as well; sometimes you’re lost, and sometimes you aren’t. And when you feel like you’re lost, you have to rely on other people to help you move forward. It’s this oddity that makes me feel that having a passion for writing might denote some sort of mental deficiency. (Don’t take this personally. I struggle with this too).
The collection mirrors my journey. When I was younger, I used to write all the time. While my childhood wasn’t that bad, I would always escape into stories of my own imagining, and steal myself away into the confines of the school library (I’m still proud that my librarian allowed me to check out books until the last day of school). Then college hit, and then medical school, and then me dropping out of medical school, and then I realized that I had to get a job. While I was (somewhat) publishing, it wasn’t nearly enough to support myself or my then-boyfriend at the time. It broke my heart, but I decided to go out and be an adult. I chose to teach math for no other reason than it was in demand at the time. Looking back on it, I probably would’ve gotten away with being an English teacher. And as a counselor, I often find myself using creative writing and art to help clients who are just as engrossed in the written word as I am. So when I read through this collection, I couldn’t help but remember all the little moments when I was worried about finances, how I could possibly survive when my parents were already barreling down on me. It’s a painful thing to have to go through, and I feel that this is, more often than not, a part of a writer’s journey to get where they need to go. It’s a harsh journey (there’s a reason why so many famous writers have committed suicide. Hell, even Edgar Allen Poe died impoverished before he died). But a necessary one nonetheless. Writing is a good way to help people express themselves, and medical schools value someone who can delve into humanity holistically, so make that of what you will.
I absolutely loved this collection, and thus, would give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
