2026 Goal Progress: The Poetry Collection

This year, I promised myself I would publish one book, a book of poetry to be exact. It's comprised of poems spanning the last decade and some change of my life. I wanted a small win to keep me chugging along on the novel whose first draft is like 98 - 99% done.  

After fighting with formatting, and wondering if I've lost my mind more times than I can count, I clicked order on the proof. It won't land in my hands first. The blessing and curse of traveling is that I have to pass the task of holding my first published piece of literature to someone else.  

Which feels like a deeply intimate act. Baring one's soul takes more courage than baring one's clothes, I have come to learn in my life.

It’s exhilarating and terrifying to see dreams manifest.  Will I absolutely crash out if the proof is a flop and I have to go back to the formatting board again?

Yes. Yes, I will. 

But, regardless if it comes out flawless or needs more work, I’m immensely proud of myself for being able to check this off my list.  

It makes all the other creative pursuits seem plausible.  Would having a year off from my regular 9-to-5 make this all a bit easier?  Hell fucking yes!  For now, I’ll keep chugging away little by little until I can grab the mic and say: 

Want to make it possible for me to reach my “Fuck you, I’m out” phase sooner, then carry your ass over to Patreon and hit that join button!

Copyright(c) 2026 Rayven Holmes