Please Excuse This Poem

Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling to articulate their own identity or feels disconnected from the classical literature taught in school. This anthology serves as a bridge between the digital world and the interior life, offering a diverse array of modern voices that speak directly to the complexities of 21st-century adolescence. It is less about rhyme and meter and more about the raw, honest exploration of what it means to grow up today. Through poems that touch on social media, family heritage, and the awkwardness of daily life, the collection validates the intense emotions of the teenage years. Parents will appreciate the inclusion of interviews and biographies, which demystify the creative process and show that poetry is a living, breathing art form. It is an excellent tool for normalizing feelings of being different and encouraging self-expression through writing.