I Didn't Mean It But I Sort of Did

by Kelsey Rakes

kelsey rakes never meant to write a book of poetry, but she sort of did. her first published collection is unabashed, uninhibited, unafraid, and unforgettable. she writes about death, sex, and mental disorders as easily as she writes about getting haircuts and sparkly tiaras. this volume was conceived after finally conquering her fear of sharks and of dying alone. kelsey rakes currently studies english and spanish at the university of virginia, and after graduation she plans to join the circus and write some more about haircuts. her life is a constant work in progress.

Genres: Poetry

68 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2010

About the author

Kelsey Rakes wrote her first story the night before she was born. It was a rather touching piece about deep sea fishing, and the ending was a real tear-jerker. In kindergarten she had to write in her journal daily. While other kids wrote about their mundane lives, she penned a long epic about a girl named Kelsey who looked suspiciously like her and got into all kinds of scraps, like eating Santa's candy cane palace.

She finally struck it big with the self-illustrated hit "How My Dog Won the Lottery" in third grade. She won all sorts of accolades and got to be on TV. Then the children's TV show Zoom animated her drawings for their show, It was pretty awesome.

It has been downhill ever since.

Reviews

[Kelsey Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon Kelsey’s poetry years ago on DeviantArt. Her poems are starkly real and deeply enchanting, and exude a vulnerability that is at once fragile and resolute. Covering a wide breadth of subjects and moods, each poem stands apart from the next. However, they are all connected by their somewhat unusual style and distinctly personal natures. The ones I can relate to are cathartic, and give me chills. The ones that I can’t are no less beautiful – and painful. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to explore a candid, frank, and poetic take on mental illness, relationships, growing up, and the nuances of life.

–

(A few of my favorite lines)

‘I used to cut myself in perfectly straight lines / I made cookies just to eat the dough / Pain still makes me calm in ways that writing songs and organized sports never could’ – Important Things to Know

‘I am bursting out of a harsh winter into an even harsher spring / I feel tuliped; I’m the heaviest iris that could never be picked / Cut and dry me, bells of Ireland hair, foxglove fingers, spine whittled from hickory.’ – A Birdsong and 6.9 Daffodils

‘When we stood on the roof and spun in circles, you reminded me that gravity was only a theory, and I said I understood but really I didn’t / There was no gravity, only the way that you lifted me up, higher, higher / But I failed my science exam and you slept with another girl and afterwards fell down a flight of stairs and broke your arm / We’ll call it gravity and call it even.’ – The Law of Gravity

-Kelsey Joy

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection, just didn't speak to me 💗

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection had a huge influence on my own work, and then I lent it to someone I barely knew and never saw it, or them, again. It's fitting, really.

[David Olmsted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered this modern author's poetry on the Deviant Art website and she quickly became my favorite. Like the best in modern Hip-Hop songs her poetry is personally real not abstractly real. Add to that a unique way of looking at the world that she inserts as sudden surprises in her poetry and you have a winner.

[Sara St. Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and heart-wrenching collection of quirky poems. I loved absolutely every bit of it, especially the personalized inscription that came with my copy. I highly reccommend it.

[Rae Hachton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelsey is an amazing poet. I love her work, it is beautiful and I want to see more from her. Her words evoke so many emotions within.

http://estallidos.deviantart.com/

[Zack Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ♥ IT.

[Kay Harding]

Kelsey is a life long friend I've had, and her humor has always been wonderfully quirky and original. I can't wait to read.