Let me start by saying that I do not like poetry.

Whether it be because I find most of it angsty and cliche or because I’m frustrated over the fact that I myself can’t write it, the fact remains: I am not a fan of poetry.

That being said, this past weekend I read a collection of poetry titled 2am Thoughts by Makenzie Campbell. It was a very short collection, clocking in at only 144 pages, and the piece was divided up into two parts: “Dusk” and “Dawn.”

Of the two halves, the first was much more melancholy. Its content was mainly filled with poems of unrequited crushes, lost love, and longing. Some of them rang true to me, but most of them became repetitive and rather depressing. Aside from the few fantastic outliers, poem after poem was another reiteration of the same sad, lonely thought.

Halfway through, the collection switched over to “Dawn.” For me, this was much more enjoyable to read. Not only for its more positive tone but also for its variety. There were poems about overcoming adversity, moving on from failed romance, and the journey towards self-love. It was not filled with sunshine and pure happiness, but it was more insightful, more accepting, more hopeful.

Due to the growth that the theme of the book underwent, my thoughts about the collection changed as I was reading it. In the beginning, I admired the technique Campbell used. In typical poetry fashion, there were many excellent metaphors and similes. However, I found that that same idea being repeated over and over again got old very fast. I thought that this collection would become merely another reason for why I do not call myself a fan of poetry.

Upon further reading, I discovered this to not be entirely true, and in the end, I was glad that I decided to stick with it. The final few poems leave the reader with a rather pleasant aftertaste.

Although, there was one notable fact about Campbell that was evident throughout both halves of the collection: she was only eighteen when she wrote the book.

Some of the sadder, earlier poems do seem to have a childish angle to them. They portray more of an angry and accusatory tone towards love, rather than a wise and understanding one. The subject matter is unequivocally that of the trials and tribulations of a teenage girl.

If you are one that prefers the more refined and pretentious poetry, this collection may not be for you.

That being said, there was a key aspect of this book that I believe would make it attractive to almost anyone: it was a radically fast read. I read it in the span of one day, although I think that I could have finished it in under an hour if I tried to do it all in one sitting. Some of the poems took up a page or two, but many more were mere sentences or short phrases.

If you’re anything like me, you might not want to fully commit to reading a book in a genre that you do not normally enjoy. However, 2am Thoughts is a good transition into the world of poetry; it’s a nice way to dip your toes in.